Transformers Animated: Anything but Ordinary
by xXBlack'BladeXx
Summary: My name is Bay, I'm sixteen years old, &, believe it or not, I can control the elements. I don't know why or how, I've just somehow always been able to. But even with superpowers, bein' a teen ain't easy. First movin' to Detroit, & now these giant alien robots showin' up outta nowhere! My life has never been so crazy! What do you expect when you're anythin' but ordinary?
1. Prologue

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>✧<strong>Prologue<strong>

**The**couple was young-somewhere in their late twenties. They sat in two metal fold-up chairs, hand-in-hand, looking around the room. Their eyes traveled from the rainbow colored "magic carpet" to the nearly ceiling tall playhouses-one was an actual house, and the other was a castle-to the many crayon drawings scrawled by the hands of five- to six-year-olds that were taped to the walls. Meeting each others gazes again, they knew they were thinking the same thing: why were they here?

They knew it had something to do with their daughter, but what was the problem? Bay had been nervous on her first day of Kindergarten, yes, but that was expected of any child-especially an only child. Since then, however, she'd been coming home from school, chattering and bubbling about nothing but good things. Things like how Kindergarten was so fun, or this classmate said that or that classmate said this. Not once had she ever mentioned or let on that something was wrong. So what _**was**_ wrong? Was she not learning properly? Did she have some sort of disorder, like ADHD? Was she not getting along with the other kids?

Suddenly the door opened, drawing the young couple's attention. A woman in her early forties, with a long French braid of golden-brown hair, wearing a denim dress, penny loafers, and black rimmed glasses, stepped into the room. Closing the door, she smiled at the couple. " Hello," she greeted with a friendly grin. " I'm Mrs. Byrd, the Kindergarten teacher. You must be the Calectos."

As one, the couple stood. " Uh, hello," the brown-haired, brown-eyed man said, taking the woman's offered hand. " I'm Michael and this is my wife, Amanda."

" Hello," the strawberry-blond-haired, hazel-eyed woman replied, also shaking hands with the teacher. " If you don't mind my asking, Mrs. Byrd, why have we been asked here?"

" Is Bay all right?" Michael questioned worriedly.

Mrs. Byrd only smiled and motioned to the chairs. " Please, take a seat," she said.

The couple exchanged a glance but quickly sank back into their seats. They watched as Mrs. Byrd slowly made her way around to sit in her chair on the business side of the desk. It was all Amanda could do to keep from twiddling her thumbs and Michael to keep from demanding what was going on as they waited for Mrs. Byrd to finish carefully restacking a pile of papers.

Finally, after an eternity, Mrs. Byrd finished her paper-stacking and turned to the couple. " Bay is completely fine," she assured them, receiving an undoubtedly relieved sigh from the husband and wife. " Her only major problem that I see right now is with sharing-but that's to be expected for a child of her age with no siblings; she'll learn. She also seems to display some slight problems with mathematics and phonics, but that should be fixed with some tutoring."

" So, if Bay's fine, why are we here?" questioned Michael.

" I would like for you to tell me everything about Bayfire from the moment you adopted her."

" Oh," both adults said in some confusion.

" Well," Amanda started, " Bay was never really something we thought twice about. You see, when we were told that I could never have children, Michael and I were devastated."

" For the longest time we'd wanted so badly to be parents," her husband explained a bit further. " So, to hear that we couldn't have a baby on our own was like a punch to the gut. But we were determined to become parents. We griped and sulked around and felt sorry for ourselves for about a month, and then we started discussing the concept of adoption."

" It didn't take us long to realize that that was our answer," Amanda cut in. " We got in touch with an adoption agency and let them know we were interested in adopting. We filled out all the paperwork, took all the evaluations, and then we waited. To tell you the truth, we weren't expecting much; the waiting lists for things like this are two years at the least! But then a few weeks later we got the call."

" There had been a family that had been looking to adopt a six-month-old baby, but, at the last minute, the adoption fell through," Michael said, taking Amanda's hand in his own as they both recalled the moment that had drastically changed their lives forever. " The people at the agency asked us if we'd be interested in giving the child a home. Naturally, we said yes."

" The next day, we were taking Bay home," his wife sighed happily, her eyes twinkling. " She's been nothing but an angel since then."

" What's going on here, Mrs. Byrd?" the young man finally inquired again. " What's all this about?"

" Well, it's just recently come to attention that Bay is rather… well, why don't I just let you see for yourselves?" With that, the Kindergarten teacher rose from her seat and made her way across the room to the door that led to the playground outside. Opening it, she stuck her head outside and called, " Bayfire, please come in here."

The Calectos sat in silence, waiting for their six-year-old daughter to come happily skipping through the door. They couldn't have been more mistaken. A second after Mrs. Byrd had called, a huge chunk of the brick wall went soaring across the room and crashing against the wall. Jumping out of their skin, Michael and Amanda stared with bulging eyes at the chunk of brick and then slowly turned back to see their daughter standing in a hole in the wall where the chunk had been.

" Mommy! Daddy!" Bay exclaimed joyously, a mile-wide grin pulling up her lips and he jade green eyes shining. " Look what I can do!" With that she leapt into the room and stomped down onto the floor, feet shoulder-width apart. Clenching her little hands into fists, the child forcefully thrust them up in front of her. A small spire of earth projected through the floor. Then Bay reached towards a vase of flowers and pulled the water out of, not just the vase, but the flowers as well, leaving them dead and black. Whipping around, she sloshed the water across the spire, slicing it into three pieces. All at once, she turned a shoulder to her parents. Punching an open palm out, the Kindergartener sent a powerful gust of wind at her parents, knocking them out of their seats and to the floor. What she did next, however, was the most shocking of all. Running forward, the little girl leapt as high as she could into the air and swiped a leg out in front of her, sending a small jet of flames crackling out into the air. When she came back to the floor, her grin was even wider than before… if that was even possible.

Her parents, as you may have guessed, were looking like they had just seen a ghost. Eyes nearly popping out of their heads and jaws dropped to the floor, they stared from their beaming daughter to Mrs. Byrd, who as unbelievably calm about the whole ordeal.

Mrs. Byrd simply chuckled at the couple's expressions. " _**That's **_what I wanted to talk to you about."


	2. Bayfire

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>" <strong>Like a true nature's child... we were born, born to be wild. We can climb so high! I never wanna die! Born to be wild! Born to be wild...!" Steppenwolf; <strong>_**Born to be Wild**_

**1**

✧**Bayfire✧ **

**9 Years Later:**

** It **wasa cool January day in Louisiana when our adventure begins. A silver Chrysler sped down a highway, and a cop car—lights and sirens blaring—was riding its bumper. At the moment, the two vehicles were fortunate enough to be the only two cars on the road. The question of how long it would stay like that, though, was another matter entirely.

" Come on, man!" one of the two bank robbers in the Chrysler shouted at his partner in crime. " What're ya doin'?! I thought you could drive!"

" I **_can _**drive!" the man at the wheel spat back, not taking his eyes of the road.

The first one to have spoken was seated in the passenger seat and looked in the rear-view mirror on his side. " The cops on our tail will testify against that," he retorted. Twisting around and practically diving into the backseat, the guy came back out with a semi-automatic. He rolled down the window and leaned out dangerously far, then he began shooting.

Because the driver was so busy focusing on his driving (he'd always been a nervous driver), he hadn't seen his buddy get out the gun. Now, at the sound of shooting, he swerved. " They're shootin'!" he screamed, his voice almost seeming to go up nearly ten octaves. " They're shootin'!"

" Ya moron, they ain't shootin'!" the guy leaning out the window shouted in. " **_I'm_** doin' the shootin'! **NOW KEEP THE CAR STRAIGHT AND STAY ON THE FRICKIN' ROAD!**"

Whimpering, the poor driver turned back to the road. Beneath his ski-mask, he was white as a sheet. " I told ya this was a bad idea, man! We're small-time guys—we ain't big 'nough to be robbin' banks!"

" You shut your trap and do as you're told!" the robber, who definitely must have been the brains of this operation, ordered. Then he took aim and started shooting again. This time he got lucky: he blew out one of the tires. The police car went squealing out of control, spun around, and ended up in the ditch. " Ha, ha!" the shooter bellowed, pumping a victorious fist in the air. " Yeah, baby! Now that's what I'm takin' 'bout!" He slipped back into the car and threw the gun back into the backseat again... **_without_** switching it on safety (the idiot!). Lucky for him, it didn't go off. " We're home free now, Morty!" he laughed, lounging back in the seat with his arms folded behind his head and eyes closed. " See, what'd ol' Chuck tell ya? Ain't nothin' gonna happen to us."

" I guess you're right, Chuck," Morty sighed.

" 'Course I'm right!" Chuck replied. " Now keep your eye on the road."

Back behind them, the two police officers in the car were getting out of their beat up Charger. The older of the two sighed heavily and placed a hand flat against the hood. " And just after we got the last dents pounded outta 'er," he tsked, shaking his graying head of hair. He patted the car's hood.

" Want me to call for back up, Sarge?" the younger cop asked. By the eagerness in his voice, you could tell he was a first year rookie ready-and-raring to go.

" Nah," Sarge answered, looking off down the road after the speeding Chrysler. " Let 'em go."

" But, Sarge," the rookie retorted looking both appalled and put-out, " they're criminals. They robbed a bank!"

" I know, Jaxson," Sarge assured him, still looking after Chrysler. " But we're right on the outskirts of Trent," sudden smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, " and somethin' tells me that she'll be more than willin' to deal with 'em for us."

" Sarge?"

" Just grab your handcuffs and your walkin' shoes, son. That's all you'll need." Sarge reached down to his belt and slipped out his phone before pressing speed-dial.

* * *

><p>Chuck and Morty were still racing down the road at top speed. The cohorts were so busy being proud of themselves that they didn't even notice the sign and said 'Welcome to Trent'. In fact, they didn't notice much until suddenly they hit a bump in the road.<p>

" Hey, watch where you're goin', Morty," Chuck mumbled. He was already half-asleep in the passenger seat. " You'll wear-out the shocks hittin' potholes like that.

" Right, Chuck," Morty replied, though he hadn't seen any pothole in the road, and he was fairly certain what they'd hit hadn't been a pothole.

They drove along in silence for several minutes. That's when Morty say something very much out of the ordinary and somewhat disturbing. He reached over and tapped Chuck's shoulder. " H-hey, hey, Chuck," he stammered.

" What is it, Morty?" Chuck groaned, still half-asleep.

" There's a kid out in the middle of the road."

" Walkin'?"

" No. Just standin' there."

Chuck opened his eyes and sat up.

Sure enough, there standing out in the middle of the road ahead of them stood a teenaged girl, no older than fifteen. She had dark tan skin, jade green eyes, and long black hair that was done up in a high ponytail. Her attire consisted of a charcoal gray 'Built Ford Tough' t-shirt with a rusty red leather jacket over the top, dark red and black camo cargo pants tucked into black boots about mid-shin high, and fingerless black gloves. She stood with her feet braced shoulder-width apart and was standing erect and tall. Her fists were clenched at her sides and a deadly look was on her face. Her position seemed quite stationary.

Scowling, Chuck said, " Just keep drivin'. She'll get outta the way."

Morty nodded and went a little faster. However, he had a niggling feeling that Chuck was wrong. They'd covered half the distance between them and the girl when the feeling finally because enough for Morty to voice. " Chuck, I don't think she's gonna move," he gulped.

" She will," his partner assured him, still glaring at the girl.

They were closer now.

" Chuck…"

" _**She'll move.**_"

Closer.

" Chuck, she ain't movin'!"

" Then plow her over!"

Suddenly the girl did move, but not in the way the two men had intended. She quickly slid a foot back behind her, crouched down for a split second with her arms tucked in against her chest and then she threw them out; right arm going skyward and left towards the ground, hands open and parallel to them. At the exact same moment, a huge, flat sheet of earth broke away from the ground and shot up, forming a wall.

" What the…?!"

Morty slammed on the brakes and frantically turned the steering wheel to try and stop the speeding car. He managed it, but just barely: the car ended up parallel to wall with no more than a couple yards between the two.

Craning their necks to look out the windows, Morty and Chuck looked up at the wall to see the girl. She was still in the same position she had been, but it's just that she was literally _**on the side of the wall**_! It was like she was glued there or something!

" What's this kid got?!" Chuck exclaimed. " Spider-powers?!"

That's when the teenager did something else unbelievable. She moved her arms around in a quick, fluid, and graceful motion, sweeping them around in front of her and around her head and reaching them up to the sky, weaving them in and out and around in each other. She twisted slightly to the right at the waist, her arms in a position where her left was stretched in front of her to the right with that hand open and reaching, and her right arm the exact same way to the left. Then she whipped around, untwining her arms and punching both hands out towards the car. A wave of air, paper thin and sides sharp as a scalpel, flew towards the vehicle.

A slight _**ching! **_sound was heard. Suddenly half of the car was falling left and half was falling right; it had been spliced lengthwise right down the middle! The two car halves crashed against pavement.

Still standing, the girl skidded down the side of the wall almost as if she were snowboarding. When she reached the bottom. she made a motion with her hands and the earth wall sank back into the ground, leaving the landscape looking like it hadn't been disturbed. Then the teen marched towards the vehicle and stood in between the two halves. She reached down, grabbed both of the guys by the front of their shirts, ripped them out of their confines and hoisted them up in front of her, holding them high enough to that their feet dangled a couple inches above the ground. She smirked wolfishly at them. " Boys," she said, " didn't your mamas ever teach ya that crime don't pay?"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Sarge and Jaxson came upon the sight of the robber's... uh... apprehension. Jaxson's mouth dropped open and his eyes bugged wide open at the sight. " What on God's green earth happened here?" he breathed.<p>

Sarge just chuckled as he continued to walk straight towards the mumbling and grumbling criminals who were encased up to their shoulders in spires of earth. " That would be Bayfire Calecto," he answered over his shoulder.

" Who?" Jaxson asked.

" Don't worry, son," Sarge replied. " One of these days you'll meet her." The senior policeman ripped a note off a spike of earth that was between the robbers. As he read it a grin creased his face.

* * *

><p><em>Sarge,<em>

_ Thanks for giving Officer Slim that tip. Beating around these guys made my day! Just remember, I'm always here whenever you need me to thrash a few more hoodlums for you._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Bay_

_P.S. You might need to use a jackhammer to get them out of their... prisons. :)_

* * *

><p>Sarge couldn't help but chuckle. That Bay was certainly something else.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>[AN most of these people, except Bay's parents, in these first few chapters have southern accents and Bay kinda has one too, but I suck at accents (I found that out the hard way with Bombardier '-_-) so I won't write in them. Not even Blitzwing—but you should already know what he sounds like.]**


	3. Leaving

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>" <strong>Here comes good-bye. Here comes the last time. Here comes the start of every sleepless night, the first of every tear I'm gonna cry. Here comes the pain. Here comes me wishin' things had never changed and she was right here in my arms tonight. Here comes… good-bye…" Rascal Flatts; <strong>_**Here Comes Good-bye**_

**2**

✧**Leaving✧**

** " What** do you mean we're movin'?!"

The screech drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant. All eyes turned to the back booth. There was a teenage girl, in red and black fatigues, boots, and a rusty red jacket, standing beside the booth, her body in a stance that suggested she was either shocked or angry. The restaurant goers who knew the girl had their money on the latter.

Michael Calecto rubbed his eyes and cursed under his breath. He should've known this would happen. With as hot-tempered as his daughter was, he should've known better than to make the announcement of their relocation at a public setting. Somehow his wife and he had fallen under the deranged impression that if they took their family out for a nice dinner at the local Applebee's and made sure that Bay got her favorite meal—Bourbon Street Steak, medium rare, with grilled potatoes, mushrooms, and onions **[A/N I've had this before. Let me tell you—A-MA-ZING!]**—she'd be happier and easier to deal with. What the heck had they been thinking?

Amanda, who was thinking very much along the same lines as her husband, gave her daughter a harsh warning glare. " Bayfire Elektra Calecto," she pronounced the girl's full name to let her know that she meant business, " sit your butt down this instant and calm down!"

" No!" Bay retorted, her yell growing even louder. " I_** won't **_sit down, and I won't calm down!" The girl was just as dumb-founded as she was angry. How in the world could her life be turned so upside-down? Just a few hours ago, she was apprehending bank robbers. Now, she was in Trent's local Applebee's, being informed that they were leaving the town that she'd lived in since she was seven! " I wanna know why we're movin'!"

Meanwhile, Marshall, Bay's ten-year-old brother** [A/N Michael and Amanda adopted Marshall as a baby when Bay was five]**, was glancing around the restaurant in embarrassment of his sister's outburst. He sank down in the bench. " Dad," he murmured softly in humiliation, "everyone's starin'. Make her shut up."

Amanda then turned her harsh gaze on her son. " Marshall," she reprimanded, " we do not tell anyone in this family to 'shut up'."

" Okay, make her zip it then," the boy replied with just as much conviction.

Bay kept right on the situation at hand, not the littlest bit distracted. " What's wrong with Trent?" she demanded. " All our friends are here and everyone we love is here."

" We know that, Bay," her father tried to reassure her.

" And what about school?"

" We won't be moving till the summer," Amanda informed her, tone still hard. " You and Marshall will finish out the school year here, and then next year you'll be enrolled in your new schools."

" 'Schools'?" Marshall snagged the word, sitting up suddenly. " As in 'more than one'?"

" Yes," Michael sighed.

" Aww," his son groaned in sincere disappointment. " I won't be able to embarrass Bay as I walk through the hallways now."

At that his big sister couldn't help but smirk and snort as she looked at him with her arms crossed smugly over her chest. " Now that's the only good thing to come outta this." Then her sneer faded and she turned back to her father. Her hands went to her hips. " You still ain't said why we're movin'," she stated, the darkness creeping back into her tone.

Michael groaned. " Maybe I would have," he began, trying to keep his voice calm, because he knew that yelling at the girl would only make her even more angry, " if you had let me finish what I was saying before you exploded into your tantrum." He met her eyes with his own.

The stubborn expression that was set on Bay's face never faltered for even a second under her father's gaze, but she got the message: enough was enough. Slowly, still looking angry, she sank back down into the booth. Once she was slouched in the bench seat, she crossed her arms over her chest once more and continued to glare at her father. " Go on then," she urged him.

Releasing a long-suffering sigh, her father nodded his thanks and then went on to explain. " You all know how successful I've been with my job at Sumdac Systems," he said, taking all of his family into his gaze. Once they'd all nodded in the affirmative, he continued. " Well, it appears that Professor Sumdac himself has noticed it too, because he's promoted me."

" To what?" Marshall asked.

" Well, let's just say that now I'm somewhat of his second in command you might say," the brown haired man replied.

" Okay," Bay broke in. " So you got promoted to be his right-hand-man, so what? What's that gotta do with us movin'?"  
>" I was getting to that," Michael answered, giving his daughter another warning glare. " Professor Sumdac wants me working by his side, helping run things and overseeing projects that he doesn't really have time for. That means that he wants me at the main plant: Sumdac Tower in Detroit."<p>

At that point, Bay, who had been taking a drink of her water, choked on her drink and spat it out. " What?!" she coughed.

" Hey!" Marshall bellowed at the same time. He turned on his sister and gave her a death-glare. " Bay!"

The teen glared right back at her kid brother. " Oh, suck it up, shrimp-boat," she snarled. " Take it as payment for all those wet-willies you've given me over the years." Regardless, Bay bent the liquid off of him (making her mother look around at the other restaurant goers uncomfortably [she'd never really accepted the fact that her daughter could control the elements]) and back into her glass, leaving him no worse for wear. Then she turned back to her dad and shrieked, " **DETROIT?!** As in 'Michigan?! Are you friggin' serious right now?!"

" Bayfire, watch your tone," Amanda warned her.

Bay didn't hear her. " What, the guy can't just have you look after things down here?"

" He wants me on bigger projects, Bay—the main ones. Those are all done at Sumdac Tower."

" Well use it via Skype or somethin'! Dad, I don't wanna go to Detroit. You know how I hate the cities with all the smog and the noise and the people... Daddy, please, not Detroit."

Michael gave her a sympathetic look. " I'm sorry, baby," he apologized, genuinely sorrowful, because he did know just how uncomfortable Bay got in the city, " but it's outta my hands."

" Well, just quit your job then."

" Bay!" Amanda gasped, shocked her daughter would even mention such a thing. " How can you say that? You know how much your dad love's working for Sumdac Systems."

" Besides, sweetie," Michael added, " I'm not just doing it for me, I'm doing it for you and your brother. We need money to feed you, clothe you, put you both through school. And then there'll be college for you in a few years and then Marshall after that." He met her jade green eyes and looked deep into them. " We're not rich, Bay."

Feeling ashamed of what she said, Bay lowered her eyes to look at the tabletop. " I know, Dad," she murmured softly.

Michael nodded at her. " All right then."

The family was quiet for several minutes before finally Bay looked up again. " I'm just tellin' ya'll this right now," she warned them. " I'm makin' a vow right here and now that I'm not leavin' Trent, and nobody can make me."

* * *

><p><strong>Five Months Later:<strong>

" _So much for vows_," Bay thought as she sat in the backseat of the Calecto's teal Pontiac Grand Am. She was slouched down in the seat and, like a cranky hermit crab, was peaking up over the door panel and out the window, glaring at the moving men who were just finishing up loading the rest of the furniture into the moving van. Her deadly jade green eyes then went to her family. They were all carrying the last of the boxes out of the house.

Even Marshall was pulling his weight, the little kiss-up. He'd actually been excited for the move and had gone so far as to even post it as his Facebook profile for the past five months. How the heck could he be so excited to move away from the only home he'd ever known to a big, over-crowded, stinking city like Detroit? There was something seriously wrong with this kid; Bay grew more and more sure of it everyday.

Bay kept watching as her mother, father, and brother loaded up the boxes into the back of the moving van. The teen would've been out there helping load up too if it weren't for the fact that she'd been temporarily grounded to the confines of the vehicle. Why? Well let's just say that it had something to do with a pair of handcuffs (don't ask how she got 'em) with no key, a pipe to the bathroom sink, and her father having to go get a pair of wire-cutters before dragging her out of the house, kicking and screaming, and giving her a long, stern lecture on just how immature her behavior had been **[A/N the moving men were the ones who found her handcuffed to the bathroom sink]**. Now all she could do was sit and watch as everybody else loaded crap up, not that she really cared. She didn't want to help them anyway.

The fifteen-year-old continued to watch as the moving men closed the doors to their van and padlocked it before turning to her parents to shake their hands. And suddenly Bay's anger melted away and was replaced with fear and sorrow. That was it then. They were really moving out, and nothing could stop it. The girl continued to watch, and was so absorbed in the shock of the ordeal that she barely even registered that her brother had entered the vehicle.

" Ready to go, sis?" the young boy chirped happily as he buckled himself into the backseat behind the driver's seat.

Bay didn't answer; she hadn't even hear him. She just kept on watching as her parents thanked the moving men one last time, gave them last minute instructions, and came striding towards the car and getting into the front.

Michael took the driver's seat and Amanda the passenger's. Once the blond-haired woman was buckled in, she turned around and looked at her kids with a grin. " You guys ready to move to Detroit?"

" Yeah!" Marshall laughed, pumping his fists in the air.

Bay didn't answer. She was looking out the window.

Both the truck and the car started up and pulled out from the driveway onto the road—the car following behind the van.

Marshall was practically ecstatic. The chestnut-haired, hazel-eyed boy was nearly vibrating in his seat with all the enthusiasm that was boiling up within him. He'd never been out of the state before and now he was going all the way to Michigan! He couldn't wait to see Detroit! It was the only thing the ten-year-old had been able to dream about for the past five months. Ever since his parents had announced the move he'd read and watched everything on Detroit that he could. He knew there were a bunch of hot cars there and robots that did everything for the humans. The boy silently wondered if he could get a robot to his chores for him. " Oh, man, this is gonna be great!" Marshall whooped. He turned to his sister in excitement. " Huh, Bay? Is this gonna be great or what?"

" Yeah," Bay mumbled, barely audible as she craned her neck around to look out the back window at their old house with a for sale sign out in the front yard that had said 'Sold' on it for the past two weeks. " Great." The teen continued to watch as the only place that had ever truly felt like home began to disappear in the distance. A single tear trickled down her cheek. This was it. There was nothing she could do now but to go along with her family and deal with it. There was no turning back now. " Just great..."


	4. A Strange, New World

**Alice Gone Madd—Thank you for being the first and only person to review. :)**

** I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>" I just wanna scream and lose control. Throw my hands up and let it go! Forget about everything and run away! Yeah! I just wanna fall and lose myself. Laughin' so hard it hurts like hell! Forget about everything and run away! Yeah...!" Avril Lavigne; <em>Runaway<em>

3

✧A Strange, New World✧

Four Months Later:

"** _Bree!_**_Bree! Bree! Bree! Bree!_" the obnoxious noise roused Bay out of her dreams. Groaning, the fifteen-year-old reached up to her bedside table to try and hit the snooze on her alarm clock. She found the button and pressed it. Nothing. She tried again. Nothing. She tired once more. The cursed thing just wouldn't shut up! Growling, the girl curled her hand into a fist and slammed it down atop the device. " Shut up."

**_CRACK!_**

" Serves ya right." With that, Bay rolled over, back towards the broken alarm clock. Sighing, she began to drift off again. The teen was just about ready to fall asleep when suddenly—**_knock, knock, knock_**. " Oh..." Bay moaned and rolled over onto her stomach.

" Bay?" her mother's lilting voice came through the door. " Bay, honey, time to get up."

" Mmm!" her daughter moaned indignantly.

" Bayfire, come on."

" Five more minutes."

" No, not five more minutes—now!"

Bay groaned again.

" Now come on," Amanda repeated. " Up and at 'em. I want you ready and down at the table in fifteen." Receding footsteps signaled her departure.

" Uh-rah!" Bay growled and rolled over onto her back, flinging her soft, fluffy pillow at the door as she did. Then she lay there, staring up at the whiteness of her ceiling. It had been four months since they'd moved in, and yet this room still wasn't her room—this house still wasn't her home. The fifteen-year-old was suddenly depressed. She was so lonely. So... homesick. She missed her old school, her friends, and, most of all, she missed her bending. Not once since they moved here had she been allowed to control the smallest fraction of a single element—her mother's rule.

" I don't want the neighbors freaking out, thinking there's something that matter with you," Amanda had said.

But that just the thing: there wasn't anything wrong with Bay—at least not from her point of view. She'd always been able to control the elements; that was just who she was. So she was a little different than everyone else in the world, what was wrong with that? She liked being different—always had. Just as quickly as her blue mood had come, it went, and the teen was left with annoyance to fill the space. The girl scowled. " Fifteen?' she repeated her mother's time limit. " Puh-lease! I can be ready and down in five."

* * *

><p>Bay looked out the car window at the large, three-story brick building. She watched as kids around her age hurried past the Grand Am towards the building, more than likely trying to make it inside and finish up last minute homework before the first school bell rang. A huge knot of apprehension constricted her gut. Never in her life had she been so nervous for school. It was true that she'd never been fond of school—she was a typical teenager—but never once had she been nervous for it, and she didn't like the feeling. The fifteen-year-old was just happy that her brother wasn't here (they'd dropped him off at his school first). If Marshall had been in the car, he would've been teasing her mercilessly andor rolling down the window, shouting at the people that were walking by and embarrassing her. So there was a silver lining here. Bay suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to meet the warm, loving eyes of her father.

" Better head in, sweetie," he advised her gently, knowing that she was nervous. " You wouldn't wanna be late on your first day."

Bay looked from him back to the school and then back to him again. " Daddy," she said her voice and eyes pleading, " please, I don't want to. Can't I be home-schooled or somethin' now? After all, Mom used to be a teacher. And I've only got three more years of high school anyway. I could just graduate from home."

Michael gave his daughter a skeptical look. " Really?" he replied, his voice sardonic. " Tell me, Bay—can you honestly see yourself trapped in the same room with your mother for nearly eight hours a day, five days a week, every week, for the next three years? As it is, you two can barely be in the same room for two hours without irkin' each other, and that's **_without _**your mom trying to teach you something. You throw in mathematics or English or something like that into the equation and you're just askin' for a steal-cage death match."

" I'll reign myself in," Bay offered, using her best wheeling-and-dealing skills. " I promise."  
>" Sweetie, as short-fused as you are, it's not you I'm worried about," Michael half-sighed, half-chuckled. " It's your mom. She has as bad of a temper as you do—worse actually—and she hasn't had to learn to control it like you have. After all, she doesn't exactly have to worry about accidentally torching the house every time she gets angry like you do."<p>

" That was**_ one time_**!" Bay interjected quickly, blushing with embarrassment as she thought back to that one time when she'd first found out about her powers. Marshall had been sick during the time and had been getting every last bit of attention—at least in Bay's eyes, he had been. So she'd thrown a tantrum in order to get attention. She'd gotten her parents attention, all right... as well as the attention of the rest of the neighborhood **_and_** the local fire-department. Such was the story of why they'd moved to Trent, Louisiana in the first place. Also such was the story of her first and definitely **_last_** tantrum.

" Regardless," her father soothed, " home-schooling you is not a good idea."

Bay huffed and slumped, hanging her head in defeat. She knew her father was right, and that's what was so vexing about the situation. " Fine..." she mumbled.

Michael nodded. " Now," he said, nodding towards the school, " I suggest you get out of this car and high-tail it in there."  
>Once more Bay looked out at the building in apprehension before turning back to her father. " D'ya really think I can do this, Dad?"<p>

Michael gave her an adoring smile. " I have no doubt," he assured her. " This is just another step in your life, sweetie, and I know that you can take it stride like you have everything else. You just gotta have the strength and courage to meet it head on, and I know you've got that too."

" How do ya know?"

It was then that her father leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead above her left eyebrow. When he pulled away, he placed his large warm hand atop her mop of ebony hair and used the pad of his thumb to rub the kiss in. He looked deep into her jade green eyes. " Because you're a Calecto. You're my daughter. And you are exceedingly special and unique." He smiled at her. " You're a force of nature, Bay, and a magnificent one at that."

Bay returned her father's loving smile with a small one of her own. Somehow her dad always had a way of saying just the right thing at just the right time. And only he could seem to do it. As many times as Bay had tried to replicate the talent, she had just never quite been able to get it right. Scooting forward, the fifteen-year-old wrapped her arms around Michael's neck in a tight embrace. " I love you, Daddy," she murmured, snuggling against him.

Michael wrapped his arms around his daughter and pulled her close to him, enjoying her warmth and love. " I love you too, sweetheart," he whispered, kissing her hair. He held her a moment longer before finally patting her back and pulling away. " You better go now," he said, nodding once more to the school. " I'll see you when I get home tonight."

Bay nodded in return and opened the door before slipping out of the car. She watched as her father pulled out of the parking space and drove off down the street in the direction of his work place. The girl waved until he was out of sight, then she turned to face the monstrous brick building. Looking up at it, she gulped. It. Was. Absolutely. **HUGE! **How did they expect her to find anything in there? She'd get lost! Taking a deep breath, the teenager pulled her nerves together and began to march up the pavement towards the front doors. " Here's to meeting it head on."

* * *

><p>Bay walked through the overly crowded halls of the school. Actually "walk" is a somewhat relative term; it was more like she was getting pushed and shoved around the hall like a rag doll. How the heck could a school function with this many kids? The girl had found out that in her class alone there were over 150 kids! <strong><em>One hundred and fifty! <em>**Granted they had them broken down into three classes with fifty kids in each class, but still! Bay was used to have from ten to twenty in one class—sometimes thirty; but never 150! How did the teachers even know the kids' names? How did the kids even know their classmates' names?

Looking down at the map of the school in her hand, Bay tried to figure out where she had to go. She'd already figured out she had geometry with Mr. Sullivan in room 13C for her first period class (she carried a class schedule with her as well [the paper also had her locker number and combination on it]), now it was just a matter of how to find the room. Still staring intently at the map, Bay managed to make her way out of the main flow of people over to the wall where, maybe, she'd be able to focus and find her destination without having to worry about being tripped or shoved down or anything like that. The fifteen-year-old squinted at the paper, bending all her thought on it as if that would get it to give up the clue as to where the room was. This map wasn't very helpful at all. Holding it up to the light, Bay continued to study it. After several more fruitless minutes of studying the map, the girl growled, crumpled up the paper, tossed it on the floor, and ground it with her heel. Screw the map—she'd ask for help.

Looking out into the sea of faces, Bay went in search of her aid. " Hey, excuse me!" she called with a wave of her hand, trying to draw someone's attention. " Excuse me, but can anyone tell me the way to room 13C is?"

No answers.

Growling, Bay put her hands on her hips and scowled at the crowd. Fine! If no one was going to volunteer, she'd just have to recruit. That's when the teen saw a group of girls coming her way. She also saw that they were—unfortunately—that they were the snooty, 'I'm-better-than-you' type. But beggars can't be choosers, so, sucking in a deep breath and making a mental note to mind her manners, Bay stepped out in front of them. " Hi!" she chirped cheerfully with her best and friendliest grin plastered to her face.

The girls all stopped their chattering and giggling at took her into their sights. Their eyes ran judgmentally over her, taking in her clothes, hair-do, and features. They didn't look very impressed. " Like, hi," the girl who must have been the leader of this clique, judging from her position directly in the center of the group and her fancy, bedazzled clothes, greeted back nonchalantly.

" _Oh great_," Bay said to herself. " _Valley-girls. Just my luck._" That accent never failed to drive her up the wall. But, at the moment, Bay chose to take the high-road. " I'm Bay," she introduced herself, holding her hand out in offering.

The girl looked back and forth between the offered hand and Bay's face several times before slowly, hesitantly, reaching out and shaking her hand—only holding it by the very tips of her fingers. After one quick pump, she hastily released Bay's hand and held her own hand out to one of the girls beside her. " Sanitize me," she ordered, her face scrunched up is disgust.

Bay tried not to be offended.

The second girl squeezed hand-sanitizer into her leader's palm, and the first girl vigorously rubbed her hands together. Once she was done with that, she held out her other hand to another girl. " Wet wipe," she commanded.

Bay watched in fascination as the requested item was handed over.

Once she'd finished cleansing her hands, the leader girl handed the used wet wipe back to the girl who'd handed it to her for disposal. Then she turned back to Bay. " Like, hi," she coolly repeated. " I'm Christina." She motioned to the girl who'd handed her the hand-sanitizer. " This is Allison," she pointed to the girl with the wet wipes, " Lily," she pointed to another girl, " Wynonna," another girl " Sapphire," the last girl, " and Gigi."

" Nice to meet y'all" Bay replied politely with a nod. " Look, I'm new here, and I was just wonderin' if you guys could by chance point me in the direction of my first class? It's room 13C."

The group didn't seem to hear her. They were too busy looking her up and down in examination and whispering things to each other that they would snicker at. Bay got the unnerving feeling that they were all directed at her.

Finally, after one last giggle, Christina spoke up. " Uh, hey thar, girl," she drawled, very much over-exaggerating Bay's slight southern accent. " Whar you from?"

The other girl's all started to laugh.

Bay stomach lurched and she felt her temper begin to rise, but she bit her lip, refusing to give in. " I'm..." she answered, clearing her throat, conscious about her accent for the first time in her life, "... I'm from Louisiana."

" Really?" Gigi laughed, also drawling her voice. " 'Cuz ya cain't tell 't'all."

Bay's face got a little hot. " Look, can ya just tell me where to go?" she asked, irritability edging into her voice.

The group was still too busy laughing and making fun of her voice to hear her. " Lahke," Wynonna took her turn at it, " mayb-ay she's one a them thar southern rednecks!"

Complexion beet red by now, Bay turned away and stomped off. " Nevermind," she said, more to herself than anyone else. " I'll find it myself." The sound of their laughter followed her all the way down the hall, stabbing her in the back as she went.

* * *

><p>Bay watched in horror as the lunch lady sploshed a shapeless lump of the so-called 'Mystery-Meat Surprise' on her lunch tray. The girl stared at the jiggling, pinkish substance for a moment before looking back up at the woman. " Thank you," she forced out through clenched teeth as she tried to grin.<p>

The lunch lady—who was somewhere in her sixties—only scowled at the teen and waved her on with a big metal spoon. " Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said gruffly. " Move it along, missy."

Bay quickly hurried away, not wanting to deal with the woman any further, and began searching for a place to sit down. She found a spot at an empty table far away from the main group of kids and flopped into the seat with a groan. Nothing had been going her way today. That little encounter with the popular girls had pretty much set the rest of her day up to be a living hell. First of all, thanks to them, she'd wandered around some more trying to find her first period class. Eventually she had found it, but had been nearly ten minutes late, earning her a very firm reprimand and lecture from the teacher about getting to class on time and not interrupting class time again before being allowed to sit down. For the rest of that period, she'd sat at the back of the room, getting pelted by spitballs.

Second, third, and fourth periods had been the much the same. She'd been several minutes late to all of them—though not quite as late as the first time—received lectures for her tardiness (though she was lucky in only getting warnings and not detention), and had gotten hit with more spitballs. Fifth period had added her cellphone—which she was sure she'd turned on silent—going off and getting tripped as she walked it up to the teacher's desk to the equation. The good news was that she got to leave class after that. The bad news was because it was due to a bloody nose that she'd gotten from hitting her head on a desk after being tripped. So she'd spent the rest of the period in the nurse's office. For the record, big Russian woman with man-hands, uni-brows, hairy moles on their chin, and arms the size of large ham-hocks who insisted upon shouting "**I FIX BOOBOO NOW!**" while they held your head in their hands, made terrifying nurses.

Now it was lunch, and, from the look of the menu, it didn't appear that it would be any better. Bay released a deep breath. " Only three more periods, Bay," she whispered to herself. " Only three more." Then she picked up her spoon, dug it into the Mystery-Meat Surprise, and shoveled up a helping of it. For a moment she sat there, looking at the substance as it wiggled on her spoon. " Hmm," the girl hummed. " I wonder what the surprise is." She bravely inserted the matter into her mouth. Her eyes popped and her taste buds immediately recoiled. " Blech!" Bay spat the stuff back out onto her tray. " Oh, gross! Blech!" Standing up, the teen rushed towards the nearest water fountain and began to rinse her mouth out. That's when she heard a chorus or painfully familiar laughter behind her. Bay slowly turned to see the popular group standing there, sneering at her.

" Oh, girls, look who it is!" Christina exclaimed to her friends. " It's 'Bray'!"

Bay prickled at the purposeful mispronunciation of her name. " My name is 'Bay'," she growled, fighting the urge to curl her hands into fists.

The girls laughed harder. " Like, not with that, like donkey bray for a voice, it's not!" Lily howled.

By now Bay's face was as red as the dark patches of red on her fatigues. Her eye was twitching, and the veins in her neck and forehead were prominent. Smoke almost to spew out her nose and ears. " That. Is. **IT!**" she bellowed. Raising her right leg up high—almost parallel to her body—the sophomore brought her foot back down with a mighty **_stomp!_** into the floor. Several pillars of earth shot up through the floor, knocking over tables and chairs.

All of the lunchrooms inhabitants screamed in terror, some even leaving the room.

Then Bay reached a hand out toward the water fountain. The device rumbled for a moment before exploding off as the water in the pipes behind it was pulled out. Bay pulled the water towards her and formed it into a spinning circle around her. She crouched down and kept spinning it, faster and faster and faster, until suddenly she kicked a foot out in the direction of the popular girls, a sent a jet of water and air corkscrewing around it towards them.

The wave hit them and slammed them back into a wall. They came up a sputtering, gasping, make-up ruined mess. " Wh-wh-what are you?!" they all screamed in horror.

" Sick a your crap, that's what!" Bay hollered, pointing rigidly at them. " First you make fun of my accent, and now you're makin' fun of my voice and my name! My day's been hell already, and it all started with your girls! Well, I ain't dealin' with it anymore! It's time someone put you in your place." And with that, Bay turned on the rest of the terrified faces in the lunchroom. " Anybody else got a problem with that?" she demanded, bending out a whip of flames over their heads as she did.

Everyone screamed and ducked for over.

Bay nodded, satisfied. " Yeah, that's what I figured."

" Ms. Calecto!"

Bay turned towards the teachers' table at the sound of her name.

Mr. Sullivan was standing there, looking both enraged and scared at the same time. He pointed out the doors and down the hallway. " Principal's office," he ordered. " Now!"

The desire to protest was so strong that it burned in her throat, but Bay managed to hold her tongue and keep from getting in more trouble. She stood there fuming for a minute more before finally releasing the breath she'd been holding. " Fine!" she shouted. With that, she turned on her heel and headed out the doors, sinking the earth spires back into the floor as she did.

Everyone screamed again and watched on as the crazy girl who could control the elements exited the room.

* * *

><p>Bay slouched low in the very back seat of the school bus, trying to ignore the stares and glares that were being sent her way. After her little break down at lunch that afternoon, she'd spent the rest of the day in school suspension. She'd gotten another lecture from the principal on her behavior, as well as a warning on never to use her abilities on school grounds again.<p>

" If I catch you using them again," he'd said, " or if anybody else has credible evidence that you've been using them as school again, I'll expel you."

Bay silently wished that she could be expelled. She hated that school. But if it did come to that, she could only imagine the rain of fire and brimstone that would fall down from her parents, she she decided to take the principal's advice and not bend at school anymore... despite how much she hated the repression. At the rate things were going, she would never be able to use her powers again. That thought nearly broke Bay's heart. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to flow, but she just managed to bite them back.

Suddenly the bus stopped, signaling it was time for her to get off.

Grabbing her backpack, Bay jumped up and hurried up the aisle of seats to be the first one off. She ignored the protests and curses she received as she blindly pushed other kids aside, not caring who they were, just wanting to get off and away from this nightmare as quickly as possible. The minute was she on the pavement she was running. Her legs went faster and faster, carrying her away from the bus stop and towards home. She continued to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill, but they were almost beyond her control now. The sophomore went faster, not wanting anyone to see her cry.

Finally she reached her house. Bounding up the steps, Bay pushed open the front door, slammed it shut, ran past the living room where her mother and her brother—already home from school—were working on homework together—ignoring them as they both called out to her—bounded up the stairs—taking almost three at a time—threw her bag into her room as she rushed by it, ran into the bathroom, slammed the door, locked it, and turned the water on in the shower—both valves—full blast. Then she sunk to the floor. Pulling her legs up to her chest and holding her forehead in her hand—tangling her fingers in her unruly side bangs—the girl allowed her tears to flow freely for the first time. " I hate this place!" the yell escaped her before she could stop it. " I hate this place! I hate these people! I hate my school! I just wanna go home!" She broke into a fit of raging sobs. " I'm a freak," she whispered. " I'm a freak." Then, for the first time in her life, Bay caught herself saying something she never thought she'd ever say for as long as she lived. " I wish I were normal." The fifteen-year-old rolled up a washcloth and held it between her teeth to further help muffle her sobs.


	5. Shrouded Identity

** Sorry for the long wait for an update, guys. The past few weeks I've been either updating other stories that needed to be updated, doing school work, and getting ready for our high school musical. We did that two nights in a row and the first night was basically a disaster, but the second night we totally ROCKED IT if I do say do myself. So what can I say? Life likes to get in the way. ^^;**

** Anyway, this is a longer chapter, and kinda depressing, but things will pick up in the next one, I promise. :) And I know I told some of you that Bay would meet Prof. Sumdac in this chapter, and I didn't lie. That was the intention, but I eventually decided that it would work better for the next chapter.**

** Alice Gone Madd—I hate snotty girls too. And yes, we did make fun of them. XD**

** Transformersgirl4538—Like I said, Bay will meet the 'bots in the next chapter. It'll probably be near the end, but then after that it'll be basically 'bot central. :D**

** xXLollipopGalXx—Here's the chapter that you were looking forward to. Lol**

** Live-Laugh-Sing—Just like I told Transformersgirl4538, it'll be near the end of the next chapter. Please be patient. You won't regret it, I assure you. :)**

** Okay, now... *unsheathes sword and goes into a dramatic pose* ON WITH THE STORY! *runs off dramatically* **

** I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>" Who is that girl I see… staring straight… back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don't know? Somehow I cannot hide… who I am… though I've tried. When will my reflection show… who I am… inside…?" Mulan; <em>Reflection<em>

4

✧Shrouded Identity✧

One Year Later:

Sixteen-year-old Bayfire Calecto sat at a lunch table skirting the main cafeteria… alone… as usual. Absentmindedly, she ate at her lunch (a sack lunch—she'd vowed never to eat the school's food again after that fateful first day) and stared blankly at an empty spot on the table. The junior didn't dare lift her eyes; that would only draw attention—attention that was very much unwanted. Ever since that dreaded first day her sophomore year, Bay had tried as hard as she could to stay under the radar. It didn't necessarily work. Christina and her gang always managed to smell her out at least once a day to make her life absolutely miserable, which, considering how things were going in Bay's life, wasn't very hard to do.

Not only was the teenager homesick for Trent all the time, she was friendless and forbidden to use her powers (she hadn't used them once since her first day). Then there was the fact that she and her mother were at each others throats 24/7. They constantly fought and argued, even over the littlest and most trivial of things; their last fight had been over how Bay stacked the dishwasher. The poor girl just felt like she couldn't do anything right anymore. She was moody and angry and cross and she hardly ever laughed or smiled like she used to. She was constantly looked in her room and didn't want much of anything to do with anybody. In short, ever since the move Bay had quickly become quiet, depressed, and downhearted: three things that she most certainly was not.

Michael tried hard to get his daughter to come out of her shell, but whatever little progress he made (if he could make any) was always quickly demolished one way or another. Bay didn't tell him how she stayed awake at night, listening to both him and her mother bicker and argue about what was right for her. They both had their own ideas. In all honesty, Bay wasn't really sure that anything would be able to help. Unless, of course, they moved back to Trent, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. Here her father was making twice the money he had and he was enjoying his work so much, that the sixteen-year-old just didn't have the heart to even consider such an idea. If she couldn't be happy with her life here, at least her dad could. And her mother. And her brother. Basically everyone in her family loved their new lives here except her. She hated Detroit.

Bay was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts as she felt a presence close to her. The presence practically slammed a tray down next to her and flopped down onto the bench beside her. The girl peeked out of the corner of her eye to see who it was. She quietly groaned. " _Parker Drakes_," she thought, rolling her eyes. " _Fan-flippin'-tastic_."

Parker Drakes was the school's number one jock, and he had the attitude to prove it. Having been captain of the football, basketball, and track team since his freshman year, Parker was cocky, arrogant, and entitled. Stir that all together with all of the free-ride scholarships he'd been offered already and all the awards he'd won, and you had the most annoying, jugheaded senior with the biggest ego problem this side of the galaxy. And unfortunately for Bay, that ego problem had—most unpredictably—parked itself right beside her.

" Hey, doll-face," Parker greeted her with a flirty smile and a wink.

Bay hardly paid attention; in fact she didn't even look up. " Hey," she returned emotionlessly.

" This seat taken?" Parker asked, not noticing the bland dryness in her voice.

Bay made a 'tsking' sound with her tongue and shook her head. " Is now," she replied. " Unfortunately," she added under her breath as she took a drink from her bottle of apple juice.

" Great!" the boy exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy about the news. Then he did something really unexpected. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and scooted a bit closer—a bit too close for Bay's liking. " So, uh, what's your name, sweetheart?" he questioned, his tone something within the realms of what other girls might consider "sexy", but, to Bay, it made him sound like he was high.

" Bay," the girl answered, still not looking up, but ever alert and conscious of where his hands would travel. She didn't like this guy.

" Cute name," Parker replied, still using that voice. " So where you from, Bay? I don't remember seeing you around these parts."

It was then that Bay slowly set her juice down, a little annoyed at the comment. A corner of her mouth twisted and she set her lips in a firm line and bit her tongue to keep from snapping something nasty. Okay, so she tried to stay under the radar here, but was she seriously that invisible? " I'm from Louisiana," she responded, turning an annoyed look on him, " but I've been goin' to this school since last year."

Parker's face twisted in confusion. " Oh… really? I haven't seen you around."

" We're in the _**same science class**_, and we sit _**right beside each other **_in home room."

The senior looked even more confused. " Really?" he asked, his voice getting higher at the end. " Huh." Then the bafflement left his face and a superior, smug one took its place. " You know who _**I**_ am don't ya?"

Rolling her jade green eyes, Bay turned back to her lunch. " Sorry to say I do," she remarked. She picked up her apple juice and took another swig. How could she _**not**_ have known who he was? His name and face were plastered and announced over the entire school. It was like this place revolved around him!

Parker laughed. " Ha! I knew you would've." Without warning, he suddenly tightened his grip around the girl and pulled her flush against his side, his hip pressed against her and his cheek on hers. " Listen, Bay," he purred, " what's say tonight, you and me go out? Maybe to Burger Bot for a burger, and then a movie, and then maybe," he leaned in even closer (if that's possible) and whispered into her ear, " afterwards we'll, uh, we'll take a little drive up to lover's lane and get to know each other a little bit better."

Bay, who had frozen with repulsion once he'd tightened his hold on her, now almost puked at what he was suggesting. Maneuvering a hand up in between them, she shoved him off her. " First of all, get your hands off me," she snarled, straightening her jacket and pony-tail. " Second of all, what kinda girl do you take me for? And third: in your dreams, pally!"

" Wh-what?" Parker nearly gasped, staring at her in complete shock.

" Just what I said," Bay declared with a firm nod, hands on her hips. " I'm declinin' your offer."

" You're saying you don't wanna go out on a date with me tonight?"

" Buddy, I'm sayin' I wouldn't wanna go out with you if the fate of the world depended on it and we were the last two humans alive. Parker, I don't like you. I don't like ya, and I want nothin' to do with ya. I don't like your ego; I don't like your self-entitlement; I don't like your sportsmanship; and I don't like your conduct. I would not touch you with a forty foot pole if I were given the choice."

" So you're saying no to me?"

" Yes! That's exactly what I'm sayin' to ya! No! One big, fat, neon-bright '_**no**_'!"

" But… but nobody ever says 'no' to me!"

Bay shrugged. " First time for everythin'." With that simple remark, the junior gathered up her trash, stood up from the table, and marched away. She threw her trash in a garbage can. " Askin' me out to lover's lane," she snorted with annoyance. " What a jerkoff!"

* * *

><p>" Okay…" Bay puffed as she jogged down the sidewalk, "... it's official. McPhearson is... insane! Ugh!" It was now eighth period—the last period of the day—and unfortunately for Bay and the rest of her junior class, that meant P.E. with Coach McPherson.<p>

McPherson was a big and robust man with a ruddy complexion and a voice worthy of that of a drill sergeant's. Fitting, since that was what he had been when he was in the army. Then he'd had to retire and had become the school's gym teacher, football coach, basketball coach, and baseball coach. Still, unfortunately for his students, McPherson was a drill sergeant at heart and demeanor, and that meant a lot of running and discipline and up-in-your-face yelling.

Bay believed in the discipline. She could handle the yelling (she was all but used to it by now with her mother). But when it came to the running… there was only so much the sixteen-year-old could take. It wasn't that she wasn't in shape—out of her class she was in the top five for physical fitness—but she just wasn't in as good of shape as she had been when she was using her powers (you would be surprised just how physically fit manipulating the elements made you). So these timed 5K runs that McPherson made them do were beasts.

Suddenly the 'Physical Fitness Nazi' (as many of the kids at the school—including Bay—called him) came barreling around the corner of the block. The man was standing up in a car that was being driven by Mr. Willis, his assistant coach, his top half sticking out the sunroof of the car. McPherson had his ever infamous bullhorn held tight in his hand and lifted to his mouth. " Come on, ya yellow maggots!" he belted out into the bullhorn. " Afraid of a little fatigue?! My great-granny can run faster than you and she died over forty years ago!"

" _Then I certainly hope she ain't up and runnin' around,_" Bay thought to herself, " _'cuz if she was, that'd be just plain freaky!_" Pushing past the weariness in her muscles and the stitch in her side, the junior tried picking up the pace. There were only a handful of people in front of her, and they were quickly losing ground. Bay jogged past them. She was almost back to the soccer field where they'd began the run—it was almost over! Forcing herself to pick up the pace, Bay kept surging towards the finish line. Finally, after an eternity, she reached the endpoint. Almost instantly, as if they knew the entire ordeal was over, the teen's weary legs went out from under her, and she practically collapsed to the ground.

Panting heavily, Bay stretched out on her front in the prickly green grass. The earth beneath it warm and the very smell of the soil invigorated the young girl. She instinctively dug her fingers through the grass and into the dirt, feeling that wonderful, electrical jolt of revitalizing energy that she felt when ever she came into contact with the elements. Each element had a different feel to the jolt. Water was cool, refreshing, smooth; fire was hot, spicy, and electrifying; earth was strong, sturdy, and almost nurturing; and air—fresh air—could be either hot, cold, or anywhere in between, was free, and tingled. But every single one rejuvenated her. Every single one filled her with its power and made her stronger, faster, sometimes even wiser. She loved it. That energy was the thing she missed most about being able to bend. Groaning, Bay pushed herself up into a sitting position.

The rest of her gym class began to stumble in. Like Bay, they all collapsed to the ground, heaving and wheezing as they tried to catch their breaths. Unfortunately for them, they weren't able to be re-energized by the soil beneath them, like their classmate could.

Suddenly, Bay felt herself cast in shadow. Holding up a hand against the glaring sunlight of the mid-afternoon, the sixteen-year-old squinted to see McPherson standing above her. He held out his hand to her and made a 'gimme' motion with it. Without even thinking, Bay reached down and unhooked the small timer from the waist line of her shorts (all the kids wore one) and handed it to him.

McPherson studied the monitor for a moment, then an impressed look on his face crossed his face. " Not bad, Calecto," he told her with a nod of his head. " Not bad at all." And with that he cleared the timer, turned, and left.

* * *

><p>Bay was still struggling to adjust her backpack as she sprinted down the hallway from the locker room towards the front doors. She was going to be late for the bus! And it was all thanks to Christina and the popular girls had thought it would be funny to sneak into the girl's locker room while she was out on the 5k run and grab her clothes, bags, and all her books, and take them out back and throw them into the school dumpsters. Fortunately for Bay, that wasn't the first time they'd done that, so she knew right where to go. <em><strong>Unfortunately<strong>_ for her, they'd apparently decided to mix it up and throw every single one of her belongings into all different dumpsters and she'd had to go dumpster diving through all six in order to retrieve everything. She'd also almost gotten dumped into a trash bot during the process, so that hadn't helped either. All things summed up, that was why she was now rushing down the hall, still in her gym clothes, unshowered, and lugging along both her book bag and gym bag with her regular clothes either stuffed into a side pocket of her gym bag or clutched in her already full hands.

Finally Bay reached the front doors of the school and all but flung herself at them, forcing them open, and began to hurry down the steps towards the bus line-up that was already pulling away. " Hey, wait!" she called out. " Wait up!" Her bus didn't stop. " Hey! Hey!" The bus was already gone by the time she got to the curb. Groaning in frustration, the sixteen-year-old threw her head back, dropped her stuff to the ground, and kicked at the cement. " Oh, come on!" she bellowed, tangling her fists in her hair as though she wanted to pull it all out. " Are you friggin' kiddin' me?!" She looked off in the direction the bus had gone, an expression that was a mixture of irritation and forlornness shadowing her face. " This is why I need a car!" she fumed. " Or at least a new cell phone!" A little over a week ago her phone had been dunked in and flushed down the toilet by none other than the same girls that had made her miss the bus by throwing all of her crap into the dumpster. Growling, Bay spun and kicked at her gym bag, not caring what was in it (there wasn't anything breakable in there anyway), and cursed. " *%#!"

" Language, Ms. Calecto!"

Bay spun around and looked up at the top of the steps to see the principal standing there, arms crossed over his chest, and a not-too-impressed look on his face.

Bay sheepishly smiled. " Sorry, Mr. Wilcox," she apologized. Then she looked back off in the direction the bus went. Well, looked like she'd be hoofin' it home.

* * *

><p>" I think I'm lost," Bay muttered to herself as she wandered down the Detroit streets. She tried to adjust her bags to a more comfortable position. The teen had been walking along for about an hour now, and she wasn't any closer to home than when she'd set out from the school. Things sure were different in this city when you weren't riding a bus. Not to mention the fact that every time she rode the bus she didn't exactly pay attention to where they were going, just kept track of the stops. She sighed heavily in defeat. " Maybe I oughta just go to Sumdac Tower and meet up with Dad and ride home with him," she came to the decision. " I'm kinda curious about what Sumdac Tower's like anyway." Maneuvering out of the main flow of sidewalk-traffic, Bay set down her gym bag, slipped off her backpack, and stretched, bringing relief to her muscles and spine. As she stretched out she looked around and tried to decide which direction to go in. She knew what Sumdac Tower looked like on the outside—you couldn't miss it if you tried with as tall as it was. The problem was was that she was surrounded by tall buildings, and, from her position on the ground, they hid Sumdac Tower quite nicely. She didn't know which way to go.<p>

For a few moments, Bay stood there, trying to figure out what to do before finally deciding that her best option was to ask someone, despite how much she hated asking for directions. With decision made, the teenager stepped back out into the crowd and fell into step beside a man carrying a brief case and wearing a business suit and a blue-tooth in his ear. " Hi," she greeted him, showing off her best friendly smile. " Look, I hate to bother ya, but I'm kinda lost, and I was just wonderin' if you could point me in the direction of Sumdac Tower?"

The man didn't even seem to notice her and kept walking.

Slightly frowning, Bay tried again. " It won't take but a minute of your time."

Nothing.

" If you could just help out a girl here, sir."

Not even the bat of an eye.

" Sir?"

The man kept on walking.

It was then that Bay snarled. " Oh, all right, I see how it is," she snapped. " You're in too much a hurry to talk to me. You're too big and important to even give me the time of day!" She stopped walking and watched him walk on in annoyance. " God forbid anybody ever take up the big business man's precious time! Yeah, you just go right on walkin' away from me, buddy. Just go on ignorin' me. It's not like we're livin' in a society or anythin'!" The sixteen-year-old then looked around to see all of the other people on the sidewalk were staring at her oddly. Her complexion darkened as she blushed. " I ain't crazy!" she proclaimed angrily. Then she spun around on a heel and marched back to her bags and slipped them back on. " Forget it. I'll find Sumdac Tower myself."

A half hour later, and Bay was still lost. With a groan, Bay threw her bags down and flopped down on the curb, defeated. " I give up," she mumbled, holding her head in her hands. She was tempted to wonder if this day could possibly get any worse, but she didn't want to jinx it, so she kept quiet about it. The teen was just starting to think over what to do next when suddenly she heard a frightened cry. Perking up, the junior leaped to her feet and trotted off in the direction the cry had come from. As she came closer to the corner of the block, she pressed herself up against the brick building and peeked out to see what was going on.

There, across the street was a bakery. Standing huddled together in front of the bakery was a family: a husband and wife with three children between the ages of two an and six. Also in front of the bakery were four rough and tough looking thugs, and it was obvious that they were shaking the family down for money.

" Please," the man who owned the bakery pleaded helpless, " we can get the money to you next week. I promise!"

" We don't take late fees," the guy who must have been the head of this band of thugs stated. " You guys pay us the money in cold hard cash now, or else."

Bay growled low in her throat. For as long as she could remember she hated bullies, and now that she was the one getting bullied and couldn't defend herself against it, it was worse. However, even she couldn't defend herself against her bullies, she could defend these poor people against theirs.

" But we just don't have the money right now," the wife of the man tried to appeal again.

" Well, then..." the leader thug said as he rubbed his chin as if in thought. He sneered and snapped his fingers.

One of the big guys on his right stepped forward, seized that hand of the little girl who must have been about four, and yanked her away from her parents.

" Abby!" both the man and woman cried. They tried to reach out and grab her back, but the two other thugs stepped in front of them and blocked them.

" Mommy! Daddy!" Abby screamed, tears already streaming down her cheeks, fear in her brown eyes.

"... things are about to get awful ugly around here," the leader thug finished saying.

Bay had had enough. Stepping out from around the corner, Bay walked out into the street and stood there, as tall, erect, and intimidating as she could make her stature. " Let the girl go, hoodlum," she commanded.

Everybody—the family and the thugs—froze at the snarl. Then they all turned to see a teenage girl standing there. Her hands were on her fists and a dark scowl was on her face.

The thugs looked Bay up and down, taking in her height (she was only about 5'7'' quite a bit shorter than any of them), her gym clothes, and basically her over-all appearance. Then they began to crack up. This girl was telling them what to do?! Was she actually serious?! That was almost too hilarious to believe!  
>Their laughter setting her off even more, Bay growled. " I said. Put. The girl. Down," she rumbled again menacingly and slowly.<p>

The leader thug finally got enough control of himself to reply. " Look..." he snickered, wiping tears from his eyes he'd been laughing so hard, "... look, athletic shorts, since you're obviously new to this part of town, I'm gonna be nice and warn ya. You're in Black Spades territory; so, unless you're lookin' to not make your high school graduation, you better step off."

" The only ones who need to step off here are you four lunkheads," Bay retorted. " And, for your sake, I hope ya chose to sooner than later."

Leader thug's eyebrow twitched and his temper flared a little bit. Nobody talked back to him! Especially not some teeny-bopper! " Just who do you think you are, girly?" he snapped.

At that, Bay's scowl turned into a slight smirk. " Your worst nightmare," she responded, punching her right hand into her left palm and cracking her knuckles.

Leader thug made a chuckle that sounded somewhat nervous. " What, you Batman or somethin'?"

Bay's smirk grew ever more devilish as she cracked the knuckles of her left fist. " Why don't you come find out?"

Leader thug's eyebrow twitched again. Then he turned towards the family and motioned one of the big guys who were watching them to go at her. His buddy nodded, pulled out a large knife and ran forward with a battle cry. " Hhaaaahhhh!"

Bay sidled out of the way, brought her hand down in a karate chop at his wrist so that he'd release the knife, grabbed his outstretched arm, spun around, and threw him onto a car without so much as a grunt of effort. She threw him with such force that she caused him to dent the hood and shatter the windshield. Then she turned back to the others. " Next?"

The three remaining thugs stared in wide-eyed disbelief at their dazed buddy laying on the hood of the car. Finally, the other guy that was guarding the family shook off his surprise and came towards her. He had been holding a metal baseball bat in his hand, and now he swung it up and wound up as though he was getting ready to hit one out of the park. " Rrraaahhh!"

Bay sprinted a few steps forward, dropped into down to the ground, and performed a baseball slide, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of the hot rough pavement on her bare legs. The girl slid right into his legs, thus knocking his feet out from under him and causing him to face-plant into the pavement with a sickening _**crack! **_Bay quickly rose to her feet again. She quickly examined the thug and determined him to be unconscious before turning back to his cohorts.

Leader thug backed away a few steps, fear in his eyes. He turned to his last henchman and frantically exclaimed, " Well? Don't just stand there! Take her!"

The guy looked from his boss down to the four-year-old he still held captive. " What about the girl?" he asked, not all the excited to take on the crazy girl who'd just kicked the butts of his two other buddies.

" Forget her and worry about _**this**_ one!" his boss bellowed.

Looking both defeated and afraid, the thug threw the little girl back in the direction of her family (her father caught her) and went charging at Bay, weaponless. " Haah!"

Bay raised a foot up and slammed back down, slightly angled off to the side. A wall of earth shot up through the pavement right under the thug as a result. A surge of pure joy rippled through Bay as she bent the earth again after an eternity of being forbidden. She could feel some of her old self returning.

" Whhooaa!" The wall of earth vaulted the thug high up into the air. When he fell back to the ground he landed on an awning, bounced off it and smacked against the sign of the bakery, and then landed in a dumpster.

The little boy of the family, whom was the oldest of the children at six years, stared wide-eyed at Bay. Then a beaming grin crossed his face and he looked up at his parents. " Cool, Mommy!" he chirped excitedly.

His parents were just as amazed if not quite so enthused.

" Did she just..." the man began.

" I think so," his wife cut him off. " But... that's impossible!"

Bay watched as the thug landed and then she turned back to the leader of the group. She stalked towards him, arms outstretched at the sides as if to tell him to come at her. " What'r'ya gonna do now?" she taunted him. " You're all outta lackeys, pal."

The thug backed away, panting with fear. This girl was half his size and she just taken out three of his biggest and best guys singlehandedly! Not to mention the fact that she just controlled the ground! Quickly his eyes darted around, looking for something to use as a weapon. Finally he darted over to his jacked-up pickup, lunged into the back, and came back out carrying a big, heavy metal jack-handle. An evil sneer parted his lips. " Thought you had me for sure, didn't'cha, babe?" he called out to Bay.

The girl remained silent and unfazed.

" Well, now I got you. Hrrraaahhh!" Leader thug rushed forward, the bar held high over his head. Once he was close enough, he swung it down, intending to crush in Bay's skull, but she was far too quick for him.

Bay gracefully leaped out of the way, causing the man to slam the bar down into the pavement, then she grabbed him by the back of his shirt-collar and the belt-loop at the back of his saggy jeans. With a firm grip on him, the sixteen-year-old hoisted him up, spun, and, with all her strength, threw him across the street through a window of a building that was adjacent to the bakery. With a complacent smirk, Bay strode towards the building. Putting her hands on her hips again, the girl looked through the broken window down at the beaten thug and released a light chuckle. " Believe I'm your worst nightmare now, chumps?" The sudden sound of a revving engine drew her attention, and the teen spun around to see the other three thugs recovered and hopping in the truck.

They peeled out from the curb, pulled a U-ey and came in her direction. " Come on, man!" they bellowed at their leader. They stopped just long enough in order for him to jump into the truck through the open passenger door, and then they floored it and started to speed away.

Bay looked after them and snarled. After what these guys had done, they were not about to get away that easily—she was going to make sure of it. " You're not gettin' away!" the teen declared. She reached out towards the fire hydrant on the corner, built up enough pressure in the water inside it to blow the hydrant off, and sent a large wave of the liquid surging after the thugs. In the blink of an eye, their pickup was frozen in a solid block of ice.

The husband and wife were absolutely gobstopped.

Their son and daughter looked just as amazed as they had before. " That was totally wicked!" the little boy cheered.

" Yeah!" the little girl agreed.

Chuckling, Bay marched down the street towards the frozen truck. Once she reached it, she patted the side of the ice-block and smirked towards the leader thug, whom she knew could still see and hear her. " And in the words of Vanilla Ice," she teased, " 'Ice, ice, baby'." She laughed.

All at once their came the wail of police sirens.

Bay turned and looked up to see a squad of police drones soaring overhead and more were rolling in from down the street. A few minutes later, the actual police were showing up. Grinning, the sixteen-year-old unfroze the truck enough so that the police would be able to get the thugs out and stepped back, her arms held in a presenting position towards the frozen truck. " I caught the bad guys for ya, officers," she proudly stated.

The police swarmed around the vehicle, handcuffs ready.

" Take 'em into custody," the Sergeant ordered. Then he turned to Bay, and, with a hard look on his face, pointed at her. " You're under arrest too," he stated.

Bay gasped and did a double take. What?! _**She**_ was getting arrested?! For what?! " What do ya mean _**I'm**_ under arrest?" the sixteen-year-old demanded. The teen pointed to the thugs whom were now all handcuffed and being put into the back of cop cars. " _**Those**_ are your bad guys right there, Officer. They were terrorizin' a family and smashin' up a shop."

The Sergeant turned and did an assessment. The street was broken up in more than one place; a large window to a shop had been broken; a car had been wrecked; and a fire hydrant had been blown up and water was running all over the place. " From the looks of it," he commented, making a sweeping motion with his hand across the whole scene, " it looks like you smashed up a lot more than that, sweetheart." He turned back to her, handcuffs ready and moving towards her.

Bay slowly backed away, but she was soon grabbed by two other police men. " Wait!" she cried, struggling against their grips. " Wait, you can't do this! You can't arrest me! Just... just let me explain."

" Save it for Fanzone, kid," the Sergeant replied, coming ever closer with those dreaded metal cuffs.

Bay continued to try and struggle away, frantically thinking about what to do. She couldn't go to jail. She just couldn't! Desperate to get free, Bay did the only thing she could think of doing: she used her powers. Taking a deep breath of air, the teenager forcefully exhaled it back out in a "lung-punch". The current hit the Sergeant and jetted him backwards. With him out of the way, Bay slammed a foot down atop one of her captor's feet, causing him to yelp in pain and release her to grab at his sore toes, and then she kicked the other guy in the shin, eliciting the same reaction from him. Free, she darted away, was nearly intercepted by a couple more officers before she quickly bashed their heads together, slide over the hood of a police car, ran to the corner to grab her bags, used the water from the hydrant to form an icy trail, and began to skate away.

The Sergeant stared after her in both awe and frustration. They'd never be able to catch her that way. Pulling a walkie-talkie type device out of his belt, he spoke into it, " Drones, after the girl. Stop her, but do not harm her."

The drones flew off after the sixteen-year-old.

* * *

><p>Bay had already covered about half-a-dozen blocks (it was easier to travel farther when you were skating instead of running) and kept right no going. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She figured she was Scott-free, being so far ahead of the police. But she didn't account for the drones until something sharp and stinging blasted her in the buttock. " Yah!" As Bay yelped she lost her concentration on her bending. The ice quit forming in front of her and she hit rough pavement, went flying, hit the street, and skidded across it and into the center of a busy intersection. " Uh-ahh!"<p>

Around her cars swerved and skidded to a stop. It was truly a miracle that she didn't get hit and nobody had a bad wreck, though there were a few small fender benders. The people in the cars blared their horns and shouted at her. " Hey! Watch where you're goin', ya stupid kid!" " Get outta the road!" " Move it!"

Bay hardly even heard them, she was too busy dealing with her discomfort. " Hello, road-rash," she rasped with a grimace. Groaning, the girl moved to get up, cracking her back, shoulders, neck, and hips as she did. " Ooh!" Inhaling deeply, she let it out slowly letting the pain (or some of it anyway) ebb away. Then she turned her eyes to the sky. " Crap," she muttered once she spied the drones flying overhead. Adrenaline hitting her systems again, Bay reached out towards the ice, liquified it, pulled it to her, and was forming an icy trail again as she skated off. Now mindful of the drones, she tried to counter their attacks. Each time they fired at her, she dodged, spun around and punched out either fireballs or strong blasts of air, but no matter how many she took out, there always seemed to be more. It was like they just appeared out of nowhere!

After being chased through the streets, Bay was forced up onto an overpass. Panting heavily, the girl pulled up at the side of the road, and leaned against the barrier for a breather. Sweat trickled down her forehead and stung her eyes. These little robots just didn't know when to give up! Unfortunately for the police, neither did she. Suddenly Bay looked up and she did a double take. There... there was Sumdac Tower! Finally, after all that time looking for it, there it was! The sixteen-year-old gaped at the building for a moment, then her attention was drawn by the all-too-familiar sound of the drones. She glanced back over her shoulder to see them coming closer. A growl left her throat. Well, there was Sumdac Tower, but how was she supposed to get there and be rid herself? That's when she heard the sound of sloshing down below. Cocking an eyebrow, the teenager looked down and was met with the view of a canal. " Perfect," she whispered. She looked back towards the drones—they were getting closer. Turning towards the river, Bay adjusted her bags and backed up a ways before running forward and swan-diving off the side of the overpass. Using her power, she summoned the water up into a slanting pillar so that she wouldn't have so far to fall, but she never hit the water. Without warning, she was caught in cables; strong cables that wrapped around her legs and arms and torso pulled her up out of the dive, and, worst of all, aggravated her road burns. " Hey!" Bay shrieked, struggling and fighting with all her might to get away. " Let me go! I said let me go!" The junior continued to try and fight her way out of the web that was holding her, but it was no use. She couldn't break her bonds. Sighing in defeat, Bay slumped into the cables, allowing the drones to take her wherever they pleased.

* * *

><p>" Destruction of public and private property, assaulting law-enforcement officers, evading arrest," the large police officer in the pants and suspenders with the blonde comb-over snapped the file closed and slammed it down on the metal table in front of her, causing the girl to wince. " You're in a heap of trouble, little missy."<p>

Bay looked up at the man anxiously, desperate to make him understand that she wasn't the bad guy here. " But, Captain Fanzone, you don't understand!" she declared.

" Oh, really?" Fanzone replied, not sounding convinced. He retreated to the over side of the table, pulled out the chair there, and seated himself. Leaning back in it, he crossed his arms over his big stomach. " Then, by all means, enlighten me."

Bay closed her eyes and sighed before leaning forward and meeting the Captain's gaze. " Look," she tried to level with him, " it's like I told your officers. Those four jerks were shakin' down a family. I hate bullies, so I decided to teach these guys a lesson."

" A nice sentiment, I'll give ya that," Fanzone conceded with a single nod. " But that still don't mean that you shoulda done what you did."

" Well, what I supposed to do?"

" Call the police and stay out of the way."

" But innocent people were in danger!" Bay pointed out defiantly. " It's in my nature to help people like them! Besides, isn't there such a thing as being a good Samaritan anymore?"

" Being a good Samaritan is one thing," Fanzone pointed out as he leaned forward and pounded the table top with an index finger, " but what you did went far beyond 'good Samaritan' and pushed the 'vigilante' border. Tell me, kid, where do you think we'd be if we just allowed people to walk around and deal out their own form of justice? This country would erupt into utter chaos!"

Bay shut her mouth and sat back in her chair again, utterly disgusted.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and a police officer walked in and over to Fanzone. " Captain," he said, " the girl's father is here."

Bay groaned and slumped down in the chair. " Crud..."

Fanzone looked back at her, then made a motion with his hand. " Get her outta here then."

The officer walked around the table to Bay and took her out of the cuffs that were holding her to the table. " Come on, sweetheart," he said. " Let's get you outta here."

Bay rubbed her wrists and stood as she began to follow the officer out of the room. She stopped as Fanzone suddenly grabbed her arm and she looked down into his hard gaze with a hard one of her own.

" You better watch it from now on, kid," he warned her.

Bay glowered at him and yanked her arm out of his grip. " So had you, _**Captain Fanzone**_," she threatened right back. With that she stormed away. She was just about to exit the room when she heard a sharp whistle and turned back around to face Fanzone, whom was now standing.

Still looking at her with a harsh gaze, Fanzone pointed two fingers to his eyes, then swiveled his wrist around so that the fingers were pointing at her. 'I'm-watching-you'.

Bay's face twisted in a nasty scowl and she made the motion right back at him. Then she impishly stuck her tongue out at the officer and blew and raspberry in his direction before turning and hastening out of the room and down the hall after the police officer.

Fanzone's fists clenched at his sides and the vein in his head stuck out as he rumbled off a deep growl. " This is why I _**hate**_ kids."

Bay meekly made her way down the steps of the police station towards the curb where her father was parked. She looked down at the ground and kept sneaking glances up at him. He was leaning against the car, arms folded over his chest and a not-too-thrilled expression on his face. The girl finally came to a stop in front of him. She remained silent and kept her eyes averted to the ground.

" Do I even want to know?" Michael questioned his daughter. His tone wasn't harsh but calm and smooth, however, it had even more of an effect on Bay's guilt than even if he'd been yelling at her. You really knew that Michael Calecto was mad if he didn't yell.

Closing her eyes, Bay slowly shook her head in answer.

Her father just sighed. Then he turned away and began to walk around the car to the driver's side. " Come on, let's go home."

Bay hesitantly moved towards the car. Opening the passenger door, she slowly got into the seat, slammed the door shut, and crossed her arms over her chest. The girl turned so that her back was to her father.

After about an hour, they pulled up into the driveway of their home and Michael parked and shut off the car. Then the two sat in silence, neither of them moving. After a long moment, Michael turned to look at his daughter. " Bay..." he began.

" Save your breath, Dad," Bay cut him off, knowing what he was about to say. He'd only asked her the question a million times.

The man attempted a soft chuckle. " I can't save my breath, punk," he commented softly. " I'm worried about you."

" Don't worry 'bout me then."

" I can't do that either, honey; you're my daughter."

Bay closed her eyes and bit her lip in order to keep the tears that were welling up in her eyes from flowing. She remained silent.

Silence crept in again before Michael broke it once more. " Bay, please, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

At that, the girl suddenly exploded. Whipping around in her seat to face her father, she stared at him with her jade eyes red and glistening with tears. Those same tears were already streaking her face. " What's wrong?" she rasped. " Ya know what's wrong? My life—that's what's wrong! It's right in front of your eyes, Dad, can you not see that?! Haven't you ever noticed how Marshall brings friends home, but I don't? How he talks about all the stuff he and his friends do, but I don't? Newsflash, Dad: it's because I have no friends here! I'm a _**freak**_ here, Dad! And what's worse, I can't even use my powers here without getting in trouble by Mom or the school administration or even the frickin' police for it! I've used my powers twice since we moved here, Dad. _**Twice**_! My powers are a part of who I am; they're what helps make me _**me**_. It's gotten to the point that whenever I look into a mirror... I can't even tell it's me anymore!"

" Bay..."

" I know ya think I'm bein' over-dramatic about this, Dad, but I'm not." Bay slumped down in the seat and stared at the dashboard as the tears continued to cascade down her face.

More quiet.

" Bay..." Michael finally spoke again, "... is there... anyway I can help?"

Without even looking at him, Bay posed the question, " Can ya make me normal? Can ya make me popular and everything that Mom was in high school that she wants me to be to?"

Michael opened his mouth to reply, but when no comment came to his mind, he just sighed and looked down at the steering wheel.

" That's what I figured," Bay remarked drily before opening the door, stepping out of the car, grabbing her bags, and heading to the house. As she stomped up the steps into the house, the door opened and her mother appeared on the porch.

" Michael," Amanda called to her husband who was getting out of the car, " Marshall invited Zack over to stay the night. I told him that'd be fine." Then the woman turned her attention to her fuming daughter. Because Bay had her head lowered, her mother couldn't tell that she was crying, but she was still a bit shocked at the fact that, with each step, the teenager was slamming her feet down onto the wooden steps of the porch as if she meant to splinter them. Not to mention that fact that she was had come home in the evening with her father rather than in the afternoon on the bus. Putting her hands on her hips, Amanda raised an eyebrow. " Why are you home so late?" Then she noticed her daughter's road rash. " And why are you hurt?!"

" Don't ask," Bay replied frostily and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her. She made her way to the stairs, shoving her brother and his buddy out of her way as they came streaking down the stairs to the living room to watch some sort of stupid TV show. " Outta my way, twerps," she snarled. A few moments later there was the sound of a slamming door.

Amanda watched after her, hands still perched on her hips. She turned at the sound of footsteps and gave her husband a quizzical look. " What's with Bay?"

" Don't ask," the man repeated his daughter with a grumble. He too disappeared into the house.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Bay sat in her bathrobe on the edge of the bathtub, using her powers for the second time that day. With careful, skilled movement, the sixteen-year-old bent an amount of water around the painful burns on her legs sides and arms. She quietly sighed as the pain went away and the evidence of the sores disappeared. When she was finished, she quietly bent the water back into the tub and let it go down the drain. Then she stood and began to make her way out the room. As she past the mirror, she looked up into it. Once again she saw her reflection, but she didn't recognize it. She didn't know who this girl was, but she knew that she didn't like them and she wanted to go back to being herself. The only problem was... she just didn't know how. It felt like the whole entire world had some sort of personal, sadistic vendetta against her. For the thousandth time, the same question that had haunted the young girl's mind crossed her thoughts again: " <em>Who am I?<em>"


	6. Beneath the Lake

** OMP, you guys I'm so sorry for the long wait for an update (I say that a lot don't I?). Life has been... busy to say the least. School, work at the farm, Easter and family things. That and plus I've had some writer's-block, so I'm sorry if this chapter is sucky. And I'm sorry if I don't get all the words right for Fanzone during his scene, because, honestly, it's been a while since I've seen this episode. Oy!**

** Alice Gone Madd—I want to beat those a-holes up too! Let's do it together!**

** JML Ranch—I know—poor girl! But here comes the good part! :D**

** Guest (whoever you are)—I'm glad you enjoy this enough to look for it. :) And I intend of keeping it up. :)**

** Shadowshade936—Yes, as I've told you, I am on Quotev as 'Van Strycker". I am known by many names on the internet: Van Stycker, transformers333, and xXBlack'BladeXx: but you may call me by my beloved nickname: Chuck. Please don't ask how I got that name—long story. **

** Guest (whoever you are)—Actually, you're pretty spot on. This entire story takes place within the first three episodes of the series, just with stuff added to it and changed to fit in my OC. And I'm happy you're thinking of ideas; it shows you've got an amazingly creative mind of your own. Kudos! ;) However, despite the fact that she possesses the same abilities and some of the same qualities as the Avatar (she was, admittedly, inspired by that fandom), Bay is not, in fact, the Avatar. There is a reason for why she can do what she can do, but that will not be revealed for a while yet. Because I'm just evil like that. Heeheehee!**

** So anyway, on to the story. I know you've all been waiting long enough. XDDDD**

** I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>Transformers; <em>Arrival to Earth<em>

5

✧Beneath the Lake✧

" Dad,are ya sure it's all right with Professor Sumdac for you to bring me to work today?" Bay asked as they sat at a red light.

After her little breakdown two days ago, Michael had decided that maybe pulling his daughter out of school for a few days and giving her a break from it all would help. The only problem was, with as depressed as Bay had been, he and Amanda were afraid of leaving her alone for fear she might harm herself. Leaving her by herself wasn't an option. She needed supervision, and the only one who could get out of work was Amanda since she only worked part-time at a bookstore. That was not an option either. As diligently and persistently as his wife had offered, Michael just knew that leaving his wife and daughter _**together**_... _**alone**_... _**all day long**_, was worse than leaving Bay by herself. By the time he got home, they'd have killed each other, and then where would he be? They'd discussed having someone come and stay at the house while they were away, but that idea had gotten shot down even more quickly than the first two. For one, they didn't know many neighbors who would be willing to look out for Bay—they all thought the girl to be rather strange and/or creepy. For another, it didn't fly with Bay. That left only one option: Michael had to take his daughter to work.

Neither of them were extremely excited about the idea. Michael didn't know how he'd be able to keep an eye on his depressed and—as of late—seemingly volatile daughter. Bay wasn't all the sure she'd enjoy it. Unlike her younger brother, the sixteen-year-old wasn't the biggest fan of robots and thought they were actually rather boring. After all, what did robots do anyway? They never did anything funny or interesting. They were the same all the time; always doing the same thing no matter how boring or mundane it was. They were lifeless puppets. However, for the sake of each other, the father and daughter had decided to to suck it up and deal. After all, if one kept an open mind, who knew of the possibilities. Not that there was much open-mindedness going into the concept.

Michael nodded. " Positive," he answered the girl's question. " I talked to Professor Sumdac and he was very happy about the concept. You could say he's actually rather excited to be meeting my daughter. He's a nice man, you'll like him."

" That's what Mom said about the Roberts," Bay mumbled under her breath. The Roberts were the family that lived next door to them on the right. They were a nice couple, a little bit older than Bay's parents, with two kids of their own a son who was around Bay's age and a daughter close to Marshall's. The first time they'd all gotten together they'd gone out for dinner and went bowling. It had been fun, until their son had become a little bit too friendly and forceful for Bay's taste and she'd told him to screw off and fed him a knuckle sandwich when he didn't, which his parents did not appreciate very well. In short, that was the last time Bay had been in the presence of the Roberts.

The stoplight turned green and Michael put on the gas and began to move forward. " Remember," he reminded his daughter, " best behavior."

" Yeah, yeah," Bay waved off the memo. She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed out the side window at the other cars that were on the street with them. A quiet sigh escaped her. " It's gonna be a _**long**_ day."

* * *

><p>" Professor Sumdac, I'd like for you to meet my daughter Bayfire," Michael introduced the two. " Bay, this is Professor Isaac Sumdac, the brain behind all the automatons that help keep this city in working order."<p>

Bay smiled at the short, chubby Indian man before her in a friendly manner. " Nice to meet ya, Professor," she murmured shaking his hand.

Professor Sumdac grinned sincerely up at her. " Oh, and what a pleasure it is to meet you, Ms. Calecto!" he exclaimed joyously. " Your father has told me so much about you."

" Uh… all good things I hope," Bay teased, giving her father a sly look.

Michael played along by rolling his eyes to the ceiling and whistling, as if he knew nothing.

Professor Sumdac laughed. " Of course all good things. Of course! The way he goes on about you, I half-expected to meet a goddess rather than a teenager."

Bay and her father exchanged a quick, knowing glance. In some ways, the Professor wasn't completely wrong. No, Bay wasn't actually a literal goddess… but she certainly possessed the powers of one.

Suddenly, a device on the Professor's desk made a tone. Static filled the screen and a second later, the robot receptionist of the tower appeared on it. " Professor, the field-trippers are here."

" Thank you," Professor Sumdac replied with a nod. " I'll be right down." He turned off the device and turned back to the father-daughter duo standing in front of him. " Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to go and greet our guests." The man stood up, walked out from behind his desk, and shook Bay's hand again. " A pleasure meeting with you, Ms. Calecto," he repeated with his friendly smile. " I'm sorry that I can't show you around personally, but if you wish to come and join the group I am giving the tour for, you're very welcome to." With that, he turned away and exited the room.

Bay watched after him then turned back to her father with a grin. " He's nice," she commented. " Nicer than any of the other people in this city have been to me."

" He's humanitarian material, that's for sure," Michael replied with a smile of his own. " Well, I better go with him to help keep those kids in check. Coming?"

" Actually I kinda gotta go, so if you could just point me in the direction of the nearest bathroom…."

Michael chuckled and pointed towards the door. " Out, to the right, and just keep following that hall. The door will be the first on your left. Then you can either explore or come and find us and join the tour."

The junior nodded. " Thanks, Dad." And with that, she left the room. Several minutes later after she had—ahem—taken care of her business, Bay decided that instead of going to join the tour, she would walk around, check the place out on her own. With all the people working here, it wasn't like she would get lost, right? So the sixteen-year-old began her trek. Since the first floor (where she was) was more of the living quarters/office area, she decided to begin her self-given tour on the next floor, and headed in the direction of the elevator. She knew it was back past the main office somewhere….

Suddenly there was an robotic yapping sound and before she knew what was happening, Bay was barreled over. " Oof!" The girl hit the floor, and when she opened her eyes again, she was met with a robot dog sitting on her chest, wagging its tail happily. A key card was held tightly in its… well… teeth, because Bay didn't know what else to call them. The pup yipped joyfully in Bay's face and released the key card with was holding to "lick" at her face. Though the robot didn't actually have a tongue, it still made a slurping sound and there was a definite tickling sensation that brought a smile to the teenager's face and caused her to laugh.

" Sparkplug!" a young girl's voice suddenly cried out. " Sparkplug, where are you?! Come back with my key!" Within a few seconds, the owner of the voice, a girl of about eight years of age with red hair done up into pigtails, large brown eyes, and wearing an orange and yellow jumper with matching boots and socks, came sprinting around the corner. When she saw the dog, she came to an abrupt halt, a scowl on her face and her fists on her hips. " Sparkplug!" she scolded. " You mangy mutt, you stole my key!"

Sparkplug simply looked over at his mistress, barked and leaped to the floor before trotting away. Instinctively rubbing her face to rid it of non-existent dog saliva, Bay stood up. Brushing herself off, she reached down to pick up the key card that had fallen to the floor, and advanced towards the child with a grin. " I believe this is yours then?" she remarked, holding out the key.

Reaching out, the girl snatched the key away and held it protectively to her chest. She made one more glare past Bay towards the robotic dog a few yards down the hall and scolded him a second time before turning her attention back to the sixteen-year-old. " Yeah, thanks," she replied with a grateful smile. " Little devil's always running off with my key—aren't'cha?" she looked back down the hall to the pup who simply thumped his metallic tail on the floor. The girl looked back up at Bay. " I'm Sari by the way."

Something suddenly clicked in Bay's head. That's right: her father had told her that Professor Sumdac had a daughter. Grinning even bigger, the teen held out her hand. " Nice to meet ya, Sari. I'm Bay," she introduced herself.

Sari took her hand and shook it. " Pleased to meet you, Bay," she returned with a friendly smile of her own. Then a confused look came to her eyes. " Hey, are you lost or new or somethin'? I don't ever remember seeing you around here before."

Bay chuckled and shook her head. " Neither. I'm here with my dad, Michael Calecto."

" Oh, so you're Michael's daughter!" Sari exclaimed.

" You talk about my dad like ya know him personally."

" Well, we don't know each other real well, but we do know each other. I like your dad; he's nice. He always says 'hi' to me and asks me how it's going when I see him."

Bay laughed. " Yup! Sounds like my dad all right."

Sari just grinned. " So, Bay, what exactly are you doing here? I mean, it's a weekday. Shouldn't you be at school or something?"

Bay's smile suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a very guarded and uncomfortable expression. She clearly didn't want to talk about why she was there. " It's… a long story," she evaded the subject.

" Oh," was all Sari said, deciding not to press any further, for Bay's sake. Her face brightened again. " So, you want me to show you around?" she asked.

Bay's face lit up as well. " Yeah, that'd be great."

" All right, we'll head down to the next level and…" all of a sudden, Sparkplug broke into the conversation and snatched up Sari's key card, yanking it out of her hand that had fallen to her side, and bounded off down the hall. " Hey!" Sari exclaimed whipping around. " Sparkplug, come back here!" She sprinted after him.

Laughing and shaking her head, Bay followed. Well, if she couldn't get a tour of the tower, chasing after a little robot dog through it would be just as exciting.

" We'll corner him at the end of the hall," Sari announced.

" Sounds like a plan," Bay agreed.

" We're gaining on him."

Sari was right. She and Bay were indeed getting close to hemming Sparkplug in; it wouldn't be long before they had their hands on the key card once again. That was when one elevators dinged open. Two scientists stepped out and Sparkplug dove in under their feet.

" No! Sparkplug!" Sari bellowed.

" Stop that dog!" Bay shouted at the same time, lengthening her stride. But it was too late. Sparkplug was already in the elevator, the doors were closing, and the elevator was already descending.

The girls came to a stop in front of the shiny doors and Sari kicked one of them with a growl of frustration. Then she turned to the other set of doors and pressed the button. " We'll try to catch him on the next level," she declared as they waited for their ride.

Bay simply nodded in agreement.

When the elevator came they darted into it, hit the correct button, and began to descend. The next time the doors opened, they were on the sixth floor, and the girls leaped out into the hall, ready for action. The elevator doors next to them were open, but Sparkplug was nowhere in sight. " He's a fast little nipper, ain't he?" Bay coommented, straightening up and putting her hands on her hips. She looked one way and then the other. Which way did the pup go?

" You have no idea," Sari responded, also looking both ways. The younger girl pursed her lips for a moment in deep thought, before coming to a decision. " Okay, let's split up," she said. She pointed to the left. " You got that way, and I'll go this way. If either one of us finds him..."

" Swipe the key," Bay completed the thought with a smirk. " Wicked. Let's get to it then." With that, she jogged off down her assigned hallway, intent on finding and apprehending the "fugitive". However, twenty minutes later, the sixteen-year-old still hadn't found the scoundrel. " _Guess he went in the other direction_," she thought to herself. " All right," the girl sighed and turned around. " Guess I better go see if Sari found him." She took three steps in the opposite direction when suddenly something that sounded frighteningly like an explosion echoed through and shook the building. The floor quaking under her feet, Bay stumbled and fell to the floor. " Whoa! Oof!" After sitting up and shaking her thoughts back in order, the teen looked in the direction the explosion had come from. That was the direction Sari had gone! And who knows who else was in that direction? Her "hero's instincts" kicking in, the high schooler got to her feet and sprinted off down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Michael Calecto was still in a bit of a daze as the firemen half-carried, half-helped him walk out of the demolished building. A nasty, bloody gash marred his forehead and, from the way it hurt to breathe, he must have injured his ribs, but other than that, he was fine. A miracle really, considering how the nanobot monster had inadvertently thrown him through a wall when it had broken out of the tower. The man couldn't remember specifically what happened; it had all happened so fast. All her could recall was a "happy accident" in the nanobot lab going bad very quickly. Suddenly he heard Professor Sumdac crying out for Sari and that's when it clicked in his head. Bay was still inside! Jerking away from the firemen and stumbling back around, Michael tried to make his way back into Sumdac Tower, but he was so dizzy he nearly fell on his face before the firemen caught him again. Obviously he had a slight concussion as well. " My daughter..." he strained out, "... Bay... she's still in there."<p>

" We'll find her and get her out, sir," one of the firemen responded. " Don't you worry."

Michael tried to push away again. " No... my daughter... I have to get to her... I have to... ugh..." The man nearly fell down again but was caught once more.

" Take him to the paramedics," another fireman ordered. " He's in no condition to be walking around."

One of the bigger men of the squad hoisted Michael up so he was laying across his shoulders and carried him off to the ambulance.

* * *

><p>Bay clambered over the piles of rubble. Looking around in astonishment, the question of, " <em>What in the world happened here?<em>" crossed her mind. " Sari!" she called out. " Sari, are ya there?" No answer came. Well, no _**human**_ answer anyway.

A load roar shook the dark hallways of the building, causing bits of the building, just hanging by a thread, to rain down on the teenager.

Bay moved closer to the wall and put her arms up above her head to protect it, and, when the tremors had stopped, she broke into another jog, heading for the light up ahead where the sound was coming from. She turned the corner and was blinded by bright daylight. Freezing, the girl screwed her eyes shut and looked away as she held up her arms, then after a few minutes, she slowly opened them again. Her jade greens doubled in size. " Holy..." the teenager barely whispered as she began to move towards the giant hole in the wall. Stopping at the ledge, she looked out to see a huge, insect-type monster rampaging around and being attacked by the entire police and SWAT force of Detroit. However, their bullets and lasers and whatever else they were firing at the thing didn't seem to be working. In fact they only seemed to be making it bigger and angrier. Shaking off her shock, Bay knew she couldn't just sit by and watch; she had to do something. And there was only one way she knew how to do something.

The teen turned around and retreated down the hall several yards before turning back around to face the opening. She got into position: muscles taut, ready to spring into action. Then she busted out. Breaking straight into a dead run, the sixteen-year-old sped down the hallway at top speed and, once she reached the ledge, sprung off up into the air. With incredible leg power and a few bursts of flames from her feet, Bay soared high up above the monster. Once gravity finally took hold again, the girl propelled herself around and released a barrage of fire onto the creature. " Rrrah!"

The flames licked at the creature, and it roared out in pain and recoiled from the heat.

Bay formed a cyclone of air around herself and safely descended to the cement below. She turned her gaze back to the monster. Much to her amazement, the burns and scorch marks on its body disappeared at a remarkable rate. Okay, discovery number one: fire couldn't damage it.

The creature turned back towards Bay and roared at her in anger before raising one of the tentacle-like tendrils it possessed and slamming it down on top of her.

Bay skillfully leaped out of the way, but the shock waves from the impact knocked her to the ground. " Oof!" As quickly as she went down, she was back on her feet again, scowling back up at the beast. " Okay, big fella," she snarled, cracking her knuckles, shoulders, and neck. " Ya wanna dance, fine. Bring the music." With that, the girl raised a foot, stomped it back down on the ground, and stretched out her arms on either side of her, hands open, with palms to the sky. " Eat earth chunks, bug-boy! Huh! Huh!" The teenager crouched down for a brief second, ripping out large chunks of cement and earth from the pavement as she did, and stood back up before hurling them at the creature.

The monster stumbled back as the chunks slammed into it, almost half falling down. But soon enough it found its footing and roared at Bay again.

Bay mocked it by roaring back.

* * *

><p>" Can somebody get me a bullhorn that actually works?!" Captain Fanzone bellowed as he banged the bullhorn he currently held against the side of his beat-up, yellow compact economy model. A new bullhorn was quickly offered to him and he threw the one he was abusing away before snatching it up and bringing it to his mouth. " All right!" he shouted into it. " Plan of attack: take that thing out but keep it away from civilians."<p>

" Uh... Captain Fanzone," a cop who was looking through a set of binoculars called out a called, " you might wanna take a look at this."

" Huh?" Fanzone put—or more like _**threw**_—the bullhorn down and snatched the binoculars away from the man. Putting them to his eyes, the police captain adjusted the viewing and pointed them in the direction the cop had been looking. His complexion immediately flushed a bright red and the veins in his neck and forehead stuck out. "** I****S THAT THAT CALECTO KID OUT THERE?! WHAT THE SAM HILL DOES SHE THINK SHE'S DOIN'?!**"

* * *

><p>Bay leaped out of the way once more as the creature tried to crush her with its tentacles again. Performing a series of acrobatics, she pulled up more chunks of earth at varying sizes and hurled them at the beast, striking it every time. " Huh! Hah! Uh!" When she finally landed in a crouch she punched out a large, powerful current of air at the monster, forcing it back a little bit more. When the thing roared again a shiver went down the high schooler's back. Man, it sounded angry! Suddenly, before Bay could think, one of the beast's tendrils slammed into her and bashed her back against the wall of the tower. Stars and blinding whiteness danced before the girl's vision as pain shot through her. When the creature finally pulled it's appendage away, she fell to the ground, dazed and dizzy. " Crap," she wheezed. That's when she was grabbed, the tentacle winding tightly around her waist. She was smashed up against the building, dragged across—or more like <em><strong>through<strong>_—it, and slammed back down into the pavement. The sixteen-year-old slipped into unconsciousness.

Done with his opponent, the monster threw the girl away out towards Lake Eerie.

Bay hit the water and slowly began to sink, the deadweight of her unconscious body pulling her under the surface. It was all over... or so it would seem. Just as the sixteen-year-old became completely submerged in water a beam of whitish-blue light suddenly enveloped her and pulled her down to the bottom of the lake.

* * *

><p>" Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"<p>

An automated voice and a blaring alarm were what Bay awoke too. Groaning, the teenager slowly sat up and rubbed her head, trying to clear the fuzzy haze out of her mind. What in the world happened? She remembered the monster beating up on her and then... nothing. What was with that alarm? Where was she? The girl cracked her eyes open and looked around only to find that her surroundings were quite large, metal, and looked an awful lot like something out of a sci-fi film like _Star Trek_ or _Star Wars_. Bay carefully got to her feet. After stretching and popping her back, she began to brush herself off and found that, along with being sopping wet, her clothes were very ragged—as was to be expected from being used by a giant bug monster to gouge a hole in the side of a building—but she, on the other hand, was not. There was so much as a hint of a scratch on her—she was completely healed! That was really strange. " Did my healing power kick in or something when I was knocked out and underwater?" she thought to herself. Surely not! But if her powers hadn't healed her... what had? What the heck was going on here?!

Suddenly, Bay was cast in shadow. Glancing over her shoulder, the junior looked up to see what looked like a claw out of one of those claw machines on the gigantic scale coming at her, intent on snatching her up. With a cry of alarm, Bay leaped out of the way, just narrowly missing being caught, and barreled out of the room she was in and out into a large hallway. Without thinking, she turned to the right and ran as fast as she could. She was not going to be caught and held hostage by some freaky claw thing! Panting, the girl looked back over her shoulder to see nothing was following her, but she still wasn't about to take any chances. She turned back to follow her path when all at once—_**bam!**_—she ran into a solid metal wall and fell back on her rear end to the floor. Shaking her head, Bay looked up to see what it was she'd run into. Her heart stopped and she froze. There, standing over her and gazing down upon her, were five gigantic robots.


	7. Close Encounters of the Cybernetic Kind

** Oy! Are you kidding me? I last updated this in APRIL?! Sorry, guys! Life and other fanfics and writer's-block always seem to have a habit of getting in the way. And I'm sorry that this one is short again. It's been a long time since I've seen these episodes and finding the clips I want on Youtube isn't really easy sometimes. I was gonna have the whole battle with the microbot monster and everything in here, but I couldn't find the clip and I feel as though I really need to update this. So you'll just have to settle for Bay meeting our guys. Sorry! **

** Now, onto the story!**

** I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>X-Ray Dog; <em>Cyberworld<em>

6

Close Encounters

✧of the✧

Cybernetic Kind

Baywas paralyzed. Her heart pounded deafeningly in her ears and she hardly dared to breathe. Robots... Giant... robots. Surrounding her. Staring down at her. The only aspect of this situation that comforted her was the fact that these androids looked just as shocked as she did. But that also freaked her out. How could they look shocked? They were _**robots**_! Robots weren't supposed to _**have**_ emotions, let alone _**exhibit**_ them! But then, as she gazed up at them, the girl couldn't help but realize that something about these machines seemed conscious... alive. Of course, that didn't make the situation any less frightening. Living robots? How creepy was that?! (Though, even Bay had to admit it was kind of cool too.)

After staring at her a few more moments , the bots turned to each other. After exchanging some looks the red and blue robot with the broad chest, flattering chin, and two incredibly cute antennas (in Bay's opinion, they totally contradicted its powerful air) knelt down and began to speak. " Are you all right, little creature?" it asked in a smooth male voice, reaching out towards her.

At first Bay was offended that he'd called her 'creature'. Didn't he know what a girl was when he saw one? But when he reached for her she panicked; 'fight-or-flight' instinct kicking in. Rolling back onto her shoulders and getting her hands under her, the junior launched herself to her feet, kicking out a powerful wave of fire as she did.

" Hey!" the 'bot exclaimed, jumping back and covering his face with an arm as the smaller black and gold android behind him did the same.

The girl whipped around to face three more. She blasted two more—a red and white one and big green one—with a powerful gust of air, then sprinted forward, pulled the water soaking her body off of herself, formed it into an ice ramp, slid up it, and vaulted over the top of a small yellow and black bot. Moving into a tuck and roll, she hit the floor and was up and running again, looking for an exit. That's when something wrapped around her ankles and sharply jerked her off her feet. " Hey! Oof!" Bay looked over her shoulder to see that the red and blue bot had a grapnel cable around her ankle. A scowl was on his face and he was reeling her in. The girl snarled, " Not likely, buddy." Reaching out towards the ramp of ice, Bay liquified it, summoned it to her, and sliced it through the cable, splicing it in half. She then rolled onto her back, kicked her legs up, and spouted off a powerful get of flames that forced her legs apart and allowed her to loosen the cable. The cable fell to the floor and she leaped up. Free, she fired off a few more bursts of flames to scare the automatons back and then sprinted off down the hall in search of that exit.

After several long minutes the sixteen-year-old finally came across what looked like a door. She judged it to be her way out. Question was: how was she supposed to open it? Looking up, Bay saw a control panel on the wall beside it. She couldn't read any of the symbols on it—they were all in some sort of weird alien language it looked like—so figuring out which one would open the stupid door was next to impossible. " Trapped like a rat," she mumbled to herself. The floor began to rumble and the sound of shouting came to her ears. Whipping around, the girl could see the shadow of the bots on the wall and cursed uner her breath. She really didn't want to be caught by these things. Who knew what they might do to her? Turn her into some type of lab experiment perhaps, and it goes without say that she really didn't want for that to happen. Then a light-bulb went off in Bay's head. Maybe these things could her out so that she wouldn't have to get caught after all. Looking around, the junior spotted a niche in the wall that was just big enough for her to hide in and scampered over to it, squeezing herself into the shadows.

" It must have gone into the airlock."

" Is it lookin' for a way out then?"

" We can't allow it. That thing is way too dangerous to be let loose. It could hurt someone."

Bay recognized the voice of the red and blue android. " _I'll pretend I'm not offended by that_," she thought to herself with a scowl, biting her lip to keep quiet. She waited for her chance to arrive. It finally arrived when the white and red robot pressed a button on the control panel and the doors opened. Breaking away from her hiding place, the sixteen-year-old sprinted across and dove into the airlock when her arms were suddenly jerked back and she with them. " Whoa!" Being suspended in the air, arms held above her head, Bay looked over to see the white and red 'bot who had to be the oldest of the group pointed what looked an awful lot like some kind of magnet at her. Around the magnet was purplish-pink glowing energy. The same energy was glowing around the metal chains and offsets on her gloves. The teen snarled. She'd have enough of these walking junk piles and their trying to capture her. " Rah!" Bay swung a leg back and kicked it out at the old droid, sending a fireball hurtling in his direction. The fireball hit him square in the gut (if that's what you called that area on a robot) and knocked him backwards. At the same time it knocked out the magnetism, just as the girl had intended. Unlike she'd intended, however, she went falling to the floor. " Yai!" Before she could think about righting herself, Bay crashed to the floor, hitting her head hard. Once again she was pulled into the dark.

* * *

><p>" Mmm..." Moaning, Bay slowly began to come back into consciousness. " Where am I? Ohhh, my head!" The green-eyed sixteen-year-old reached up and grabbed at her throbbing head, rocking back and forth in pain. Why did the bad stuff always happen to her?<p>

" Hey," a voice suddenly came to her ears, " I think it's wakin' up."

" Don't make it angry, Bulkhead!" another voice sounded out. " Remember what happened last time? What are you doing?!"

" I just wanna get a closer look at it, Bumblebee," this Bulkhead character stated. " I've never seen one of these things before."

" Well neither have I, but that doesn't mean that I wanna study it!" Bumblebee exclaimed, clearly freaked out.

Still clutching her head, Bay slowly cracked open her eyes. At first there was nothing but blinding light and two blurry blotches of green and yellow. She blinked her eyes, trying to get her vision to focus. Soon enough, the teenager was seeing clearly... and looking directly up into the faces of the big green robot and the small yellow one. " Ahh!" Bay shrieked which caused both robots to scream as well and jump back. The teen jumped away too and fell off the bench she was laying on to the floor again. " Oof!" Thankfully this time she wasn't knocked out, and she scooted across the cold metal floor until her back hit a wall, telling her that she could go no further.

From their spots across the room from each other, the girl and the robots stared at one another, eyes wide in fear and amazement.

After a period of long silence, Bay finally spoke up. " Wh-what... are you?" she just barely got the question out audibly.

" Autobots," the big green one who, judging from his voice, must have been Bulkhead. " What are you?"

" Human," Bay gulped. " What are Autobots?"

" I dunno," the other bot who had to be Bumblebee replied, whatever matter that was between his ears (did robots have ears?) apparently not working right from the shock. " What's a human?"

" I dunno," Bay replied, suffering from much the same problem.

Another period of silence seeped in.

Finally Bay shook her head and she was thinking clearly. " Whoa, hold on," she said, beginning to stand up. " You guys aren't normal robots are ya?"

Bulkhead and Bumblebee exchanged a glance before turning back to her. " What do you mean by "normal robots"?" Bulkhead asked.

" I mean, you guys are like super-advanced, right?" the girl clarified. When they still didn't look like they knew what she was talking about she added, " Like, you guys aren't what we have here in the U.S.? Ya think, ya feel, ya have emotions, stuff like that. What are you guys—Japanese?"

The two bots just blinked at her in mystification. " What's "Japanese"?" Bumblebee questioned.

" And what's "the U.S."?" Bulkhead said at the same time.

" Are they a part of Cybertron?" Bumblebee cut back in, scratching his helm where two tiny appendages that—to Bay—looked a lot like gerbil ears. " I never was good at geology."

" What's Cybertron?" Bay asked, raising an eyebrow.

" That's where we're from," Bumblebee answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

" Are ya talkin' like a planet or a city?"

" Planet of course," Bulkhead replied with the same 'no-dur' voice.

For a second, Bay retreated back into her shocked state. There were other planets out there that could sustain life besides this one? Her whole life, Bay had always been skeptical at the prospect of aliens. She didn't believe in them, yet she didn't not believe in them. She always wanted proof for either case before she made her final decision, and now living proof that aliens existed was standing mere yards in front of her, looking at her like she herself was the alien. The sixteen-year-old wasn't really surprised there. To an alien species that had never seen humans before, she probably was pretty alien. In all reality, with her powers, she was alien to most humans too. " Well..." the teen shook her head, "... I hate to break it to ya, guys, but you ain't exactly on Cybertron anymore. This is Earth. _And I'm not in Kansas anymore either_," she added the last part to herself.

" Earth?" Bumblebee and Bulkhead repeated in unison.

" Are there Decepticons on Earth?" Bulkhead questioned.

Bay was about ready to ask what the heck a 'Decepticon' was when suddenly the door to the room they were in whooshed open. In stepped the black and gold both that the girl remembered from before. He was shorter than Bulkhead but a bit taller than Bumblebee. Over his optics (that's what robot eyes were called right?) was a visor that reminded Bay a lot of sunglasses. Actually, there was certain air about this 'bot that made Bay immediately think 'ninja'.

" Bulkhead, Bumblebee," he said, " Prime wants you two up in the bridge with everyone else." He turned his head and looked at the bench were Bay had been laying and did a double-take when he saw that it was empty. Turning back to the two other Autobots he put his hands on his hip and asked, " Where is the creature?"

Bulk and 'Bee silently pointed down and past him.

He turned to see Bay standing there beside the wall, looking up at him in awe. For a long time, the two simply stared at each other. Then the Autobot finally spoke. " So, it's awake?"

Bay prickled at the word 'it'. " Hey!" she exclaimed, stabbing a finger at him. " I'm not an 'it', buddy, I'm a '_**she**_'! A _**human**_ she, thank you very much! So I'd appreciate it if you would stop callin' me 'creature'."

At that Bulkhead and Bumblebee snickered. " The she sure told you, Prowl," 'Bee teased.

A small smile pulled at Bay's lips. She like Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Turning back to the black and gold robot, she crossed her arms over her chest and smirked up at him. " So, 'Prowl', huh?" she asked, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow.

" That's my designation, yes," Prowl confirmed with a nod.

" Hmm," the girl vocalized, looking him over once again. " Somehow, it fits. I'm Bayfire, but everybody just calls me 'Bay'."

"Pleasure to meet you, Bay," Prowl said with a slight smile and a bow of his head.

Bay smiled and returned it. Maybe these guys weren't so bad after all.

Prowl turned back to Bulk and 'Bee. " Like I said, Prime wants us all up in the bridge," he repeated the message.

" On it," both Autobots responded and began to leave the room.

" Me too?" Bay asked hopefully. She really didn't want to be left alone and she wanted to know more about these Autobots and their planet of Cybertron.

Prowl turned back to her and stared at her, looking her up and down. After a moment he replied, " Well, if you're awake and we're to be keeping you under watch, I suppose that includes you as well."

The girl couldn't suppress the grin that parted her lips. Giant alien robots? This was actually a pretty cool thing! She hurried out the door after the three Autobots and followed them down a long corridor. A few minutes later she, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Prowl were entering what must have been the ship's bridge. Bay gazed around the room with wide eyes and slightly dropped jaw. " Wicked," she whispered, taking in the scene. She felt like she was in some sort of _Star Wars_ or _Star Trek_ type movie. Except it was all real. Even the aliens. And, in her opinion, these aliens were _**way**_ cooler! That's when Bay finally saw and recognized the red and blue Autobot. " _Well, _**most**_ of 'em are cooler anyway_s," she thought to herself.

The red and blue 'bot looked over. " Good," he said when he saw Prowl, 'Bee, and Bulk, " everyone's here." Then he noticed the small, black-haired, jade green-eyed human girl standing with them. He looked back up at the mechs. " It's awake?" he asked, a slight bit of apprehension in his voice.

Bay bristled. She didn't like this guy already and him calling her an 'it' made her dislike him even more. The sixteen-year-old was about ready to snap back and tell him off, but Bulkhead spoke before she could.

" She's not an 'it', Prime," he explained in that good-natured way of his. " She's a 'she'."

" A human 'she'," Bumblebee interjected.

" A 'human'?" Prime repeated. " What in the name of Primus is that?"

" That's need-to-know information," Bay quickly responded, crossing her arms over her chest and resting all of her weight on one leg. " And as of right now, you don't." Annoyance was evident in her voice as well as clearly broadcasted on her face. In fact if looks could kill, Prime probably would've dropped dead on the spot.

Prime scowled at her. She had some real nerve talking to him like that!

The other four mechs in the room exchanged uneasy glances. Note: it was very clear that these two were not to be left anywhere alone together for any amount of time. Not if they wanted a leader and wanted to find out more about humans.

Prowl cleared his throat. " Ratchet, Prime, I'd like to introduce you to Bay. Bay, this is our medic, Ratchet, and our leader, Optimus Prime."

" Oh, I'm so sorry," Bay lamented, patting Prowl's leg.

" … For what?" the black and gold mech asked, confused.

" Ya said he was your leader, right?"

" Why you little..." Optimus started to snarl but he was cut off by Bumblebee.

" Hey, what's that?" the small yellow and black Autobot asked, looking up at the viz screen.

Everyone turned to look up at the screen as well.

Bay's eyes widened and she gasped. " Holy crap!" she quietly exclaimed. " It's gotten bigger!"

" You know what that thing is?" Ratchet asked.

" Yes and no," the sixteen-year-old junior explained.

" Meaning?" the old mech asked.

" Meanin', I've fought that thing and know how powerful it is, but I have absolutely no idea what it is."

" So what good are you to us then?" Optimus snapped, a dangerous gleam in his optics.

" Excuse me?!" Bay gasped incredulously.

Prime just smirked in a self-satisfied way.

" Whatever that thing is, it has to be stopped," Prowl declared, not taking much notice at the conflict happening between the girl and the Prime.

" Agreed," Optimus said, snapping right back into his 'all business' manner. " But even so, we don't want to attract attention in case the Decepticons are still out there watching."

Bay looked up at the 'bots with a shrug. " So what're ya gonna do?" she quizzed. " Dress in drag and do the hula?"

Utterly blank stares all around.

" What?" Ratchet asked.

" It's from..." Bay began but then thought better of it. " Ya know what? Never mind. You guys haven't seen the movie; ya wouldn't get it."

Muttering under his breath and shaking his head, Optimus reached down and pressed a button on the ships control console table. " Teletran 1, scan the local life forms," he ordered. " We can take on their appearance and blend in better."

" Take on their appearance?" Bay snagged onto the words, looking up at the mechs with a quizzical look. " What'd'ya mean by that?"

" Cybertronians have the ability to transform into vehicles," Prowl explained.

" Wicked!" Bay almost squealed, eyes lighting up and a grin parting her lips. They could turn into cars and trucks and stuff? How cool was that?!

" Can humans do that?" Bulkhead questioned.

" Nope," she answered. Then she added, " It'd be totally awesome if we could though!" Suddenly the floor beneath Bay began to spin and rise up. Crying out in alarm, the teen leaped off. She was already several feet off the floor however and, not wanting to fall back down and maybe get knocked out again, she flailed around from something to hold on to, and she did. The problem was, what she grabbed was Optimus' broad chestplate. Realizing this, the girl sheepishly looked up at the Autobot who in turn was looking down at her in a very surprised manner. She blushed. " Hi..." her voice sounded very awkward.

" Hi..." Optimus returned, sounding just as awkward. After a minute he added, " I'd appreciate it if you'd let go of my chest."

"Yeah," Bay quickly replied. She looked over her shoulder at the floor and then back up at him. " Let me down, please?"

The Prime suddenly scowled at her. " And why should I?"

Bay gave him a hard look. " Because, it's the _**nice**_ thing to do?"

" And why would I do a nice thing for you? You haven't be nice to me."

" Yeah, well, news flash, you ain't been nice to me either, buddy."

" How have I not?"

" Ya called me a "creature" and an "it"!"

" I didn't know what you were!"

" That doesn't make it right! Besides, you called me "dangerous" too!"

" Oh, come on!"

" Hey, guys!" Bumblebee suddenly jumped into the conversation, waving his hands around to gain their attention. " I hate to break up this little who-said-what fest here, but whatever the heck that thing is keeps getting bigger and bigger and, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd kinda like to take on that thing while we still might have a chance of _**beating it**_!"

Bay and Optimus looked at him and then back at each other. " Fine," they both agreed in unison. The girl shoved off the mech's chest, blasting him with a strong gust of air that sent him stumbling backwards.

" Hey!" Prime yelped.

" Heh, heh, heh," Bay snickered, forming a pillar of air around herself and descending gracefully to the floor. As she descended she waved and impishly winked at the Autobot, tongue sticking out at him.

Irked, Optimus grumbled. Then he turned away and stepped into the round pillar-like tube that Bay had jumped off of. The door on the contraption slid shut and suddenly a yellowish-orange, flashing, semi-translucent energy box enveloped the tube. There was a whirring noise and then the box was gone and the door opened. Optimus stepped out of the column, looking a little bit different than he had going in.

Bumblebee was next to enter the box. When he exited, he too possessed different looking body armor.

The same happened to Prowl. And Bulkhead. And Ratchet. Soon all of the Autobots were standing in the room, looking the same and somewhat different at the same time. The column receded back into the floor.

Bay couldn't help but giggle at the 'bots. They were all standing and acting like there were either naked or in one of those nightmares where you're out in public in just your underwear. Obviously their armor was very much like clothes to them.

Optimus turned to the others. " Autobots," he announced, " transform and roll out!"

" _That'll never catch on_," Bay snorted to herself. Then she watched on in gob-stopped amazement as they all suddenly morphed into vehicles. " Wicked..."

" Not bad, huh?" Optimus asked.

Bay snorted condescendingly. " You're a firetruck, Prime," she replied snidely, " not a Lamborghini." Still, even the sixteen-year-old had to admit that his alternate form did look pretty sharp.

Optimus growled and was about to snap something back, but he was cut off by Bumblebee.

" Sweet!" the little yellow and black-striped economy model (that looked an awful lot like how Bay remembered Captain Fanzone's car) exclaimed. He transformed one of his doors back to an arm, reached inside his cab, and brought out a magnetic red police light. He placed it on his roof. " How's it look, Bay?" he asked.

" You're not gonna get stuck in traffic now, that's for sure," the girl laughed.

" Impressive," Prowl said, rotating the front tire of his sleek motorcycle form.

" Roomy," Bulkhead noted of his SWAT vehicle mode.

" It'll do," Ratchet, ever the Debbie-downer, grumbled concerning his ambulance look.

All in all, the vehicle forms fit each and everyone of them pretty well.

" You guys look great," Bay announced with a grin. She still couldn't quite believe that this was actually happening to her. " Now the question is: who do I ride with?"

" With me," Optimus announced, pulling ahead.

Bay gave him a look. " Come again?"

" You're riding with me," Optimus repeated, enunciating very slowly as if Bay couldn't understand English very well.

Scoffing, the teenager crossed her arms over her chest and turned away. " There is no chance in heck I'm ridin' with _**you**_," she proclaimed with as much derision as she could muster up.

" Well, you're stayin' here then," the firetruck countered.

The girl whipped around to face him, hands on her hips. " Excuse me?!"

" I'm team leader," the Autobot explained, " and as such, it's my job to protect my team. And so far, it looks like I'm gonna have to protect them from the lives of arrogant, stubborn, smart-aft little brats like you."

That really got Bay's ire up. She hated this guy! He was such a big, fat jerk! How dare he call her those things?! Still, the sixteen-year-old did not want to remain here on the ship all by herself. Who knew what could happen? So, after several long moments, she finally conceded. " Fine," she forced out through clenched teeth. " I'll ride with ya, but I _**won't**_ like it!"

" I didn't ask you to," came the snarled comment.

" And I'm gonna make sure that you don't like it either!"

" I wouldn't expect anything less." Optimus opened his passenger side door. " Get in," he ordered.

A nasty scowl twisting up her face, Bay lifted her head high and marched with great rigidity over towards the truck. She hated every step she took. When she finally reached the mech, the girl kicked him as hard as she could in the tire before clambering it. " Jerk-off," she muttered under her breath.

Of course the kick hadn't hurt Optimus. Well, not really. He couldn't deny that he had felt a slight twinge of pain from the blow. But that didn't mean he wasn't angry for being kicked. And being called 'jerk-off' didn't help his mood much either. This girl was such a brat! He waited until Bay was almost inside his cab completely and then slammed his door shut, hitting her in the backside and causing her to fly forward and hit the opposite door panel.

Bay yelped in pain as she hit the door face first, blood starting to gush out of her nose. " You jack%*$!" she screeched, leaning her head back and pinching her nose.

" Oh, I'm sorry," Prime said sarcastically, though he couldn't lie, he did feel a little bit bad for hurting her. Still, he was angry enough to not feel _**too**_ bad about it.

" Oh, no, that's fine," Bay waved it off, her voice nasally from pinching her nose. She smirked evilly. " After all, I'm not gonna be the one washin' blood outta your upholstery."


	8. Author's Note

Guys, I'm afraid I have some bad news.

I have currently begun college and am taking several classes that require lots of reading and writing. I think my history class will take up the most time because, even though I don't really have too much writing in that class, I have to read quite and bit and then write to book reviews, the first of which is due the 25th of this month, and any of the book choices that that I'm going to have to read are all around 200 some pages. It's excruciating for me to read anything I'm not truly interested in, but it has to be done and I have yet to even decide which book to read. So I don't know when I'll be able to even think about my fanfictions let alone actually write them. Thus, I've decided that I'm going to have to drop writing fanfiction for the time being.

I hate doing this, I've literally cried over the decision because I swore to myself that I wouldn't let college take over my writing time, but I don't see any other option. If I wasn't taking the history class and was just taking the other classes I'm sure I'd still be able to write, but that's not the case. So, until further notice, _**everything**_ is on hiatus.

Will I quit writing completely? No. Absolutely not! I love writing fanfiction and I will comeback to it... it just won't happen right away. I will try to keep a place on all of my websites by corresponding over phone, but the only think I can do there is respond to/submit PMs, so I'll try and keep in touch.  
>Guys, you don't know how much this is killing me. It's like slitting my virtual wrists with a virtual knife. I hate to do it. I don't want to do it. But I don't see any other solution.<p>

Until we meet again.


	9. Some Days You do the Rescuing

**OMP you guys, I know I haven't updated this in forever and I am so, so, so, so, so sorry! College took over my life for a little bit and every time I had free time I didn't have the drive to work on this, no matter how hard I tried. Not having access to the show so I could get lines and events down right didn't help either. But not to worry. I finally got the complete series on DVD after I ordered it, and I'm on break from school now, and I worked on this today, and here is the next chapter. I know that it's not very long and I'm sorry, but with Bay's condition at the end of this chapter, it works better for me to transition. And, hey, at least it's something. Hopefully I can start updating this (and my other fanfictions) a bit more regularly. **

**Guest—Yeah, I was a little bit reserved in making Optimus as jerky as I did, but I figured I'd try it anyway, and, considering how much of a brat I made Bay towards him (Bay: Hey! Me: Sorry, Bay, but it's true), I think—and hoped—it was plausible. FYI, Bay and Optimus WON'T be falling for each other. At least not romantically. It'll be more like a big brother-little sister relationship and, eventually down the line, maybe father-daughter. I don't write romantic relationships between my OCs and their main male counterparts. Yes, Sari will be in this. Bay will not be taking her place (though she may take some of her lines if I see them fit for Bay's personality), she'll have her own place. And no. I will never, ever, EVER make Sentinel Prime sweet. I hate the dude too much to even think about considering the possibility. If anything, I'm gonna make him even more of a big, fat, head up his aft jerk than he already is! *evil laughter***

**Freddie 4153—Okay, okay! I'm continuing! SPARE ME!**

**Gabby M—Thanks so much for the support! :)**

**Okay, onward and upward!**

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>"Nobody can save you now. King is crown, it's do or die. Nobody can save you now. The only sound, it's the battle cry! It's the battle cry! It's the battle cry! Nobody can save you now—it's do or die…" Imagine Dragons; <em>Battle Cry<em>

7

Some Days You do the Rescuing

Some Days You get Rescued

The'bots broke through the surface of the water and drove up onto the concrete in the midst of a fleeing hoard of terrified humans. As Optimus was the first one to exit the water, Bay opened his unlocked driver door and leaped out, just barely managing to stay on her feet and stick the landing as she did. Not the brightest move, but she didn't want to sit inside that big, fat jerk's cab another minute longer. Besides, of the five of them (Ratchet had stayed down in the ship to analyze some sludge Bay had guessed came from the monster), she was the only one who had fought this thing. Fought and lost, yes, but fought all the same.

"Hey!" the Prime shouted at her as he and the other mechs pulled up and grouped near her. "I thought I told you to stay inside my cab!"

Bay whipped around to glare at him, fists on her hips. "And I thought I told _**you**_ that I don't take orders from you! You ain't my dad!"

Optimus growled and was about to snap something back when the girl suddenly shouted "Look out!" He turned back to see what she meant and saw one of the tentacles coming in their direction. "Move! Move!" he shouted. They all just managed to pull out of the way before the limb came crashing down into the pavement, the shockwaves almost knocking them off their tires. "That was too close" Prime breathed.

"Ya think?" Bay grunted as she got back up on her feet, the shockwave's having successfully knocked her down.

"You okay, Bay?" 'Bee, who was nearest to her, questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him, getting back into a ready position. "Just a little rusty is all. _And a little scared_," she added the last part to herself, though it hurt to admit such a thing. Of all the emotions humans could feel, fear was the one Bay hated the most because it always made her feel like she was a pathetic, helpless weakling and she absolutely loathed that. She hated being scared, and she hated anything and anyone that made her scared, and that put them on her hit list. This creature—whatever it was—had nearly killed her and thus dang-well nearly terrified her. This creature was most definitely on her hit list!

Prowl began to pull out, ready to take out the threat of this thing as well, though not quite for the same reasons as Bay was.

Optimus pulled out in front of the black and gold ninja 'bot. "Do _**not**_ engage that thing yet," he ordered. "Keep your scanners peeled for Decepticons."

'Bee looked up to see a whole bunch of teeny-tiny drones fly in and start shooting lasers at the monster. "If those are Decepticons," he snickered with a smirk, "we got nothin' to worry about."

Bay growled in exasperation, finally having enough of all this sitting around. If the 'bots weren't gonna go after this thing, then she would! "Less talkin', more hittin'!" she shouted. Breaking into a dead run she charged the beast. "Rrraaahhh!"

"Bay, wait!" Optimus bellowed after her. "Get back here, Bay! Bay!" When she didn't listen he released a sound that was half-way between an infuriated groan and a growl and cursed in Cybertronian. This girl was nuts! And not the kind that came with bolts either! "Ugh! Come on!" he shouted to his team. They all sped after Bay.

Coming closer to the monster, Bay ignited her fists and threw them forward, right then left, chucking fireballs at it. She successfully drew its attention. "Hey, bug boy!" she shouted. "Remember me?!"

Of course the beast didn't remember her—its processor wasn't advanced enough to possess much memory—but since this girl's hands were alight with fire it perceived her as a threat (being right, of course). The creature released a roar.

"Then come and get me, you giant, slimy tentacled freak! Hrrah!" She released another large fireball at the beast and took off running to the right, back towards the buildings. Not possessing any type of plan, the sixteen-year-old was acting purely on instinct and praying that that would be enough to buy her time to think up a good plan for taking this thing out… or maybe for the 'bots to.

Bay's eyes caught site of a shadow on the ground just steps in front of her and quickly looked up to see the beast once again trying to bring one of its appendages down on top of her. Picking up speed, she dropped to her side and baseball slid through the swiftly decreasing space between the tentacle and the ground, just barely making it. Rising up into a kneeling position, she made a motion with her hands that caused the earth to shoot up around the limb and tightly encase it. If the beast wanted to free itself from that it'd have to rip off that arm… which apparently it didn't have that big of a hang up about because it promptly did just that. "Aww, crud," Bay mumbled. A whipping down caught her ear and she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see another tentacle worming its way to her. "Hup! Ha!" The teenager leaped up into a backflip and kicked out a stream of flames from one of her feet, incinerating part of that appendage. Landing on her feet she smirked. "That all you got, bug?" That's when she heard screaming.

Spinning on her heel towards the sound, Bay scanned the area until her eyes lit on Sari running scared. She gasped, suddenly fearing for the younger girl. "Sari!" she shouted.

Hearing her name, Sari look over. "Bay?!" she yelled back.

"Sari! Look out!"

Suddenly Sari smacked into something and fell to her rear on the cement. "Uh!" She opened her eyes but barely had time to even think about looking to see what she'd hit before something very strong and a bit slimy coiled tightly around her waist and lifted her up off the ground. With a scream, she braced her little hands against the coil and tried to free herself.

"Sari!" Bay bellowed running to her aid. "Hold on!" Without warning, one of the tentacles wrapped around Bay's ankles and jerked her feet out from under her. "Whoa-oh! Oof!" The black-haired, green-eyed girl fell forward and all but faceplanted into the cement. She was lifted skyward. "Hey!" she shouted, snarling and thrashing around, punching out fireballs and bursts of air at the beast. "Let me go!"

Sari, still struggling, looked over towards her friend. "Bay!" she shouted again, sounding scared.

"Let me go!" the older girl ordered again. "Get your slimy tentacles off me! Let me go!" Level with the beast's head now, Bay chucked another ball of flames at it. The fire landed in one of the beast's eyes and it roared out in excruciating pain. With that, Bay turned towards the tentacle holding her aloft and blasted it with more fire. It turned to ash and she was free, falling back towards the pavement. She was just moving into position to form a pillar of air around herself so that she could descend safely when she was caught up against by another tentacle, this one winding around her body this time, successfully pinning her arms to her sides. "No!" she shrieked, grunting and struggling once more. "I said let go!" She kicked out more flames, burning the monster, until it used another of its arms to encase her feet. Bay fought harder, but stopped to watch in both fascination and disgust as the monster's eye that she had burnt and damaged began to heal. "That… is really gross," she remarked.

As if offended by her comment, the thing roared and began to tighten its grip.

Bay squeezed her eyes shut and grunted in discomfort. Honestly, she was starting to feel a little bit claustrophobic at the moment. Summoning up all of her strength she started to fight again, but with each move she made the tighter the coils became and the more they hurt. Suddenly a crackling noise emitted from the teenager's body and she screamed. "Ahhhh!" Desperate to be free, the girl glowered into the face of her captor, took as deep a breath as she could manage, and released it in a roar, fire shooting out of her mouth like that of a dragon.

The beast howled and shied away, but held onto her nonetheless. In retaliation it began to constrict her further.

The flames spouting out of Bay's mouth became less and less as more air was forced out of her lungs until they finally fizzled out altogether. Lightheaded and dizzy, it was all the junior could do to remain conscious. "Keep fighting," she whispered to herself. "Just keep fighting." But was it becoming harder to do that. It was evern growing harder to breathe. Each breath she took caused the beast's hold on her to tighten more and more, slowly crushing and suffocating her just as some type of constrictor snake would. Her struggling decreased. Everything was becoming a thick haze and her mind couldn't concentrate anymore. Faintly hearing her name, Bay turned her attention towards where Sari was. "Sari?" she rasped, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Bay!" the younger girl exclaimed. "Stay with me!"

"I'm sorry, Sari," Bay wheezed. "Couldn't… help ya…."

"That's okay," Sari assured her, still struggling against the beast's hold. "Just stay with me, Bay. Please!"

"Can… barely… breathe…."

"Stay with me, Bay!"

"Air…. Need… air…." Bay's eyes began to roll back into her head.

"Bay?!"

Bay's eyes closed and she went limp.

"Bay!" Sari cried out in utter terror. Her friend was dying—Bay was dying! All at once the beast's grip began to tighten around her too and the little girl's thoughts drifted from her friend's situation back to her own as she began to fight and scream and struggle with renewed fervor.

Down on the ground the Autobots were watching on as everything took place, still in vehicular mode.

"That thing's got Bay!" Bumblebee exclaimed. "And… whatever that other thing is."

"What _**is**_ that thing?" Prowl wondered aloud, attention on the small, shrieking, squirming creature the monster was holding within its grasp.

"Is it the same thing Bay is?" Bulkhead asked. "A—what'd Bay call them?—'Huge-Man'?"

"I think it was 'human'," 'Bee corrected his big, green friend, "and I'm not sure. It doesn't really look like what Bay looks like."

"Whatever it is, it needs our help," Optimus declared. "And so does Bay." The Prime would never admit it to anyone, but his spark had skipped a beat in panic when he heard Bay scream in pain just a few seconds ago and then saw her go limp in the monster's hold. Her life was in danger and she needed help! She needed… _**his**_ help. In fact, it was almost as though she was somehow calling out to him for help. But that made no sense! For one, she was unconscious, so there wasn't any possible way for her to call out to him. For another, they'd just met and so far detested each other, so why the pit would she be calling out to him—of all 'bots—for help? The Autobot didn't know, but all logical reasoning aside, in his spark, it felt like the sixteen-year-old was crying out for him and there was no way he could ignore it. Hate or not, Bay was in danger and so was this other… thing. "Autobots, transform!"

As one unit all four Autobots transformed out of their new vehicular modes and into their true robot forms—Decepticons be damned!

"Ah! Ahh! Ahhhh!" Sari continued to fight as the beast's hold on her grew ever tighter. Opening her eyes, something caught her attention and she looked down at the pavement to see… four giant, incredibly awesome looking robots standing there. The eight-year-old stared in amazement. She watches as one of the robots, a red and blue one that was the tallest of the group, pull out an axe from behind his back. "Cool!"

All at once the robots began to charge.

"Autobots, attack!" Optimus bellowed as his battle mask slipped out to cover his face. Reeling his arm back, the 'bot threw his axe and let it fly. The weapon soared straight towards the tentacle that was wrapped around most of Bay's body and spliced it clean off before circling back to the Prime like a boomerang.

Crying out in pain, the creature released its hold on Bay, and the unconscious girl fell towards the pavement.

Optimus sped forward and jumped into the air, catching the teen before she hit the ground. "Huh! Uh!" Holding her protectively in his arms, the academy 'bot performed a series of acrobatics back away from the beast before he decided he was a safe distance away, and then he laid cargo on the ground. The mech took out his axe once more and carefully sliced away the tentacle that remained wound around Bay's body. "Please be all right," he whispered as he pulled the coil away, only to have the pieces of it squirm back towards the monster and reunite with it. "Please be all right." He was relieved to hear the child groan. She was still alive, thank Primus! "You'll be okay, Bay," he told the girl, though he doubted in her state she could hear him. "I think."

"Boss 'bot, I got a problem!" Bulkhead's voice reached his audio receptors.

Turning back to see what was happening, Optimus took up his axe again, and charged back into the battle.

As he ran off, Bay's jade green eyes slowly cracked open for her to see a blur of red and blue disappearing into the distance before they closed again.

With the robot gone, two paramedics broke out of the line of awestruck first responders looking on and made their way towards the sixteen-year-old. They knelt beside her and immediately began checking her vitals.

* * *

><p><strong>And while I'm thinking about it—Merry Christmas! And there's one thing you guys can get me for Christmas: a whole bunch of great reviews! :D <strong>


	10. Defeating the Beast

**Another chapter! Not sure when I'm gonna update this again, because I go back to school on the 12****th**** and I don't know what my schedule is going to be like yet. I hope everyone's right about the second semester of college being a bit easier than the first because I want to try and update more frequently. *shrugs* Eh, who knows? I will have my creative writing class this semester, so that's a bonus! :) **

**Anyway, this chapter is shorter too and it's not my favorite one. I don't know why, but this chapter just wasn't my favorite one to write. I didn't have a very good flow going and it's was just… I don't know. Sorry if it's crappy.**

**OptimusPrimegirl213—Thanks for the support. :)**

**AllSparkPrincess—Is this "VERY, VERY SOON" enough? XDD**

**pokemonjkl—Happy New Year!**

**Shaddowridder221—Yes. Bay will meet up with Sari and the 'bots again VERY soon, but SHE IS NOT THE AVATAR. She was very much inspired by the fandom. I was in an Avatar craze when I first created her and wanted to create a character that could bend the elements but had a completely different reason than being the Avatar. So Bay will not discover that she is the Avatar because she isn't. This isn't a TFA, Avatar cross-over. She will never go into the Avatar State because, again, she is not, in fact the Avatar. There is a reason as to why she can control the elements and she will have a transformation that she goes through that's KIND OF like the Avatar State, but none of this will be revealed or explored until later on.**

**Alice Gone Madd—Confession *looks around to make sure no one is listening, then whispers* Hunter is my favorite TF OC too.**

**WolfAssassin369—Merry Christmas… even though it is late. XDD**

**Eleyond—Yes. She most certainly does. :) They won't be romantically involved though, if that's what you're looking for. Their relationship is gonna be more big brother-little sister.**

**Guest (whoever you are)—Happy New Years to you too!**

**Other Guest (whoever you are)—Uh… sorry I warped you then. XD**

**And now, my faithful readers, WE JOURNEY ON!**

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>Christophe Black; <em>Victory<em>

8

Defeating the Beast

"Pulse seems to be stable," the voice sounded far off to Bay.

"Lungs seem to be functioning properly too," another voice said, sounding a bit closer now.

"Can't seem to feel any type of breaks or fractures can you?" the first voice, male, replied. They just kept coming closer and closer all the time.

"No. Doesn't mean there aren't any small ones though," the second voice, female, countered. "Be better if we could get her to the hospital and take some x-rays. Still, all things considered, she's looking pretty good except for all that bruising."

"No doubt she'll be pretty sore when she wakes up."

"Better to be sore as hell than dead. She's lucky that… robot saved her when it did, or else…"

Bay groaned, interrupting the woman.

"Hey, I think she's waking up."

As if to confirm the man's suspicions, Bay groaned again, this time her jade green eyes cracking open. "Ugh…. Why do I feel like I got hit by a bus?" she moaned, voice weak.

"Well," the woman paramedic who was kneeling beside her chuckled with a slight smile, "you didn't exactly get hit by a bus, but you sure did get your butt handed to you by that monster."

Bay blinked at her. "Somehow I like the idea of the bus better," she muttered. Well, at least her sense of humor was still intact.

"You got a name, honey?" the man paramedic asked, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

"Bay," she croaked. "Bay Calecto. What exactly happened?"

"Well, from the looks of it, that monster got sick of you burning it," the woman dropped off and a look of utter confusion and fascination came over her face. "How the heck can you control fire anyway?"

The sixteen-year-old chuckled and then immediately regretted doing so. "Ow! Long… story," she forced out.

"Anyway, that… whatever it is got you caught up in those tentacles and started crushing you like a python," the man continued on from where his partner had left off. "Would have too, if it weren't for that robot."

Bay nodded, closing her eye again, but then something clicked in her head and she looked up at the paramedic again. "Robot?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Which one?" She could see something in her mind—an image. It was blurry, hardly perceptible, and the only thing she could make out of it were colors and even then just barely.

"Uh, the big tall one," the man replied. "Red and blue. Looked really worried about you too."

"Optimus?" the teen murmured, hardly able to believe it. Optimus had been the one who saved her? But… why? No wait, nix that; that was actually believable. I mean, the Autobots seemed to be heroes and saving people, no matter who they were, was part of what heroes did. But he'd looked worried about her? That was where the question of 'Why?' came in. Why would he be worried about her? They hated each other, so why would he waste time caring about whether she was going to be okay or not? Still, a small part of Bay had to admit that knowing the Prime had been worried over her felt sort of… right somehow—like it was meant to be in some way or another. It felt… maybe even a bit nice. In a totally annoying and completely confusing kind of way. Deciding to push it out of her head and forget about it and wait to dwell on it later when it was so puzzling (and even later it was still bound to be puzzling), Bay decided that enough was enough and it was time to get back up. She moved to sit up, but had barely lifted her torso off the ground when pain shot through her. "Oh!" she moaned, freezing in place, her face twisting in pain. Maybe moving was not the best idea. "Okay," she rasped, sinking back to the pavement. "That ain't happ'nin'."

"Easy," the woman paramedic soothed her. "Don't try to move around too much. You're bruised pretty badly all over and you might have some small bone fractures that could become larger if you strain them. It's best if you stay still, let us get you on a flat-board, and take you to the hospital."

Bay screwed her eyes shut and groaned in annoyance. That advice was all good and well but she couldn't lay here forever and she couldn't go to the hospital either. Not with that monster still rampaging. Her friends needed her help and she wasn't just going to sit by and do nothing, but there wasn't much else she could do right now. She was in no condition to fight. And even if she could somehow find a way to fight what the heck was she supposed to do lying here on the ground? Hurl epithets and insults at the monster that it couldn't understand? The teen had always been for of an 'actions speak louder than words' kind of person when it came to fighting. She felt so useless!

That's when Bay suddenly remembered. They were right by the lake! Looking up at the paramedics, she pointed over to the lake as best she could. "The lake," she croaked. "Put me in the water."

The team exchanged glances and then looked back down at her as if she were absolutely, certifiable insane.

"Just do it," Bay insisted, resisting the urge to roll their eyes.

The paramedics exchanged one more glance before shrugging and going along with the plan. As carefully as they could they picked the high schooler up—the man holding her under her arms and the woman taking her legs—and made their way towards Lake Eerie. When they reached the lake side, they knelt down and gently lowered Bay as far as their arms would go, but it wasn't quite far enough to reach the water. "We can't…" the man began before Bay interrupted him.

"Drop me," she commanded.

"What?"

"Drop me. Trust me, I know what I'm doing," the girl assured them with a smirk. With that she was dropped into the water. The moment she was submerged Bay could feel cool, refreshing smoothness of the water flowing into her body, soothing her aches and pains and wiping them away, making her feel like a completely new person. To help the process along, she reached out with her power and began the task of healing herself. The water around her began to glow aqua-blue in color. Bay could literally feel her crushed blood vessels and capillaries being repaired, the bruises fading away, the small fractures that were indeed in her bones healing up. It was always an odd sensation but invigorating never the less. It wasn't long before the sixteen-year-old was as good and new again and ready to get back into action.

Diving down into the water a bit more, Bay turned herself surface-ward again and propelled herself into a spin, arms outstretched to form a reverse cyclone of water around her recuperated body that she used to carry herself upward and down onto the pavement again. She rose to her feet again and took in the astounded expressions of the paramedics, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Those looks never got old!

"How…" the woman began.

"I can control all elements," Bay cut her off. "Always been able to. Don't know why or how, I just can, so don't ask." A roar drew her attention and the teenager turned back around to see three of the 'bots facing off with the creature; 'Bee going at it with some type of stinger weapons, Bulkhead brandishing a wrecking ball, and Optimus wielding a pretty wicked looking axe (but she'd never admit it to him). "Gotta go!" she announced, running off. "Thanks for the help!"

Coming to a stop a little ways behind the 'bots, Bay set her stance in a firm, unmoving position, face set in determination. She stomped a foot on the ground and raised her hands skyward, open, pulling up a large chunk of cement and earth as she did. Calling up all her strength because I rock that size was not the easiest thing the world to lift and throw, even if she wasn't physically touching it to do so, the teenager hefted the rock at the beast. "Huh-uh!" The rock flew through the air and crashed into the beasts head, smashing into bit of rubble and dust on impact.

The beast roared and stumbled back a bit, slightly dazed.

Bay ran forward again and took her place between Bumblebee and Optimus, falling into a ready position.

"Bay!" Bulkhead exclaimed catching her out of the corner of his optic.

"You're okay!" Bumblebee cried happily.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bay replied, silently wondering why she was getting the vibe that, even though he was saying nothing, Optimus was extremely relieved that she was all right. It was as though she could literally feel his relief. "Just needed a breather."

"But… you were almost crushed," Bulk claimed, sounding confused. "You got hurt. How did you…"

"Explain it later," the girl cut him off. "No time now." She looked around, feeling like something—or rather someone—was missing. Bumblebee, Optimus, Bulkhead, Ratchet was still down in the ship… Prowl wasn't here. He wasn't anywhere! Granted, in Bay's mind he did seem like he was the type of guy to go off on his own and do things his own way, but he'd still be somewhere if we was off on his own and right now he was nowhere in sight. "Uh, where's Prowl?" she questioned, ducking under a tentacle as it was swiped at them and punching out some more fire at the monster.

"Inside the monster," Bumblebee answered, zapping the beast.

"It _**ate**_ him?!" Bay screeched, eyes twice their normal size.

"More like… absorbed him," Optimus clarified, slicing at yet another tentacle. "I think. Either way he's inside of it right now and we have to find a way to stop this thing and get him out." Switching on his comm-link, the Prime said, "Ratchet, we need back up. STAT!"

/_**I'm busy!**_/ Ratchet's annoyed voice came back over the comm.

"That's an order!" Optimus barked.

"Uh! Is he always that cranky?" Bay asked of the medic as she threw some more flames at the beast's underbelly. The comm was just loud enough for her to be able to hear it.

"Rah! No," Bulkhead replied. "Sometimes he's worse!"

/_**If you'd bothered to analyze the nanobots that control the thing you're hitting,**_/ Ratchet came back on the link, /_**you'd know that their programming causes them to interpret any unfamiliar material as an invading threat.**__**Now, I can whip up a zippo override command, or I can come out and get my chrome whipped with the rest of you glitches. What's it gonna be?**_/

"Bay! Look out!" Optimus ran in and sliced through yet another tentacle that was nearly atop the girl before snatching her up out of the way of another one and leaping into the air to backflip away.

"Ugh! Hey!" Bay roared, wriggling in the Autbot's grip. "The heck do ya think you're doin', pal?! Put me down!"

The Prime scowled down at her. "I was saving your life," he rumbled. "_**Again**_."

Bay flushed red in both anger and humiliation. That's exactly why she was upset and wanted him to let her go; she hated to be the damsel in distress! She'd been a lot of different things in her life—the "Daddy's girl", the "Mommy's little helper" (at least when she'd been little), the annoying older sister, the best friend who was always there to vent to, the Bully Basher (the teen particularly liked that one)—but never once had she been a damsel in distress and she wanted to keep it that was as much as possible. Besides, she'd already been "damseled" once already today and he'd saved her. She didn't want to be even more in his debt. "I don't need you to save me!" she snapped. "I had everything under control!"

"Only if "having everything under control" means "almost flattened by a giant nanobot monster"! Do you have any idea how close you were to getting squashed again just now?!"

Bay's face grew even more hot. She didn't know which was more embarrassing and infuriating: the fact that she really had needed saving or the fact that he was right and she was wrong. Ouch! It even hurt to just admit that! "I… I… oh, just put me down!" she screeched.

"Fine!" Optimus spat, opening his hand and dropping her. Since he was kneeling, he didn't have to worry about her having too far to fall. "You're welcome."

Bay landed with a hard jar on the seat of her ragged jeans. "Oof!" The junior glowered up at him. "Yeah, thanks for nothin'." She got to her feet again, reached back, and rubbed at her tailbone, knowing she'd probably have to heal a bruise there later.

Growling and rolling his optics, the Cybertronian turned back to his comm-link. "Right," he said into it, answering Ratchet's question. "Uh, I'll go with plan A, but hurry it up, okay, Ratchet?" That said, he rose once again and charged back into the fight, Bay right on his tail.

Bulkhead drew his fist—which was still in the form of a wrecking ball—back and threw it forward to meet the tentacle that was coming at him, halting and holding it off for the moment. The big green 'bot looked over his shoulder at the others. "Is anyone pickin' up Prowl's energy signature in there?" he strained out.

"Huh-uh!" Optimus sliced threw a tentacle that came his way, only to have the spliced end regrow into two more slimy, disgusting appendages soon after. He ducked as they were swung at him. "Yeah, I am," he answered. "But it's faint." The red and blue Cybertronian growled in frustration—they were losing Prowl! And from the looks of it, they were losing this fight too, or were going to very soon, and he couldn't let that happen. "We need to find some way to slow this thing down so give Ratchet time enough to make that code," he declared.

Bay baseball slid under and tentacle and came up on the other side, blasting it with flames before whipping around and blowing away two more with a strong gust of wind. As Optimus said that, her eyes were in explicably drawn to the lake. For a second she stared at it, wondering why she was looking over there when it suddenly hit her. With a gasp of realization she grinned. "Guys!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice so that they could all hear her. "I got an idea! Try and push the monster back closer to the water!" With that she went sprinting off in the direction of the lake.

"What? Why?" Bumblebee demanded, watching her run off.

"Just do it!" the girl shouted. With that, she dove into the water.

Optimus raised an optic-ridge, both greatly confused and slightly intrigued. This girl was most definitely a brat—or at least acted that way towards him—but she was a decent fighter (he could tell she still needed some training and practice however) and she seemed to want exactly what they wanted at the moment: to defeat this nanobot creature and save Prowl. And even though he didn't trust her a cubit, he somehow finding himself believing in her, even if it was the teeniest, tiniest, itsy-bitsy little bit. At the moment, that belief was enough to make him follow her lead. "All right, fellas!" he bellowed. "You heard her! Drive 'im back to towards the water! Rrraaahhh!" The Prime went charging in, axe at the ready.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee exchanged a quick look before following after him, wrecking ball and stingers blazing. "Ahhhh!"

All three began to do their best in driving the creature back towards the lake. They didn't gain much—barely two inches—and were still trying to push the monster back when suddenly up out of the water rose a huge, serpentine shaped wave of water, upon the top of which Bay was riding. The 'bots stopped what they were doing and stared in bewilderment.

Standing with her left facing the 'bots and monster, feet shoulder width apart, arms outstretched to both control the large amount of water she was bending and to help keep her balance, Bay surfed. Her jade green eyes gleamed with excitement and a grin a mile wide parted her lips. This. Was. **AWESOME!** "Cowabunga-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Angling the water down and rushed towards the pavement where she began to circle around the monster. Once she had made a full circle around the beast, she began to freeze the water, capturing the tentacles in ice and trapping the beast itself. She kept circling the creature: around it, over it, this way and that, all the time turn the water just behind her into ice as she pulled it after her.

Roaring, the beast tried to free itself. It thrashed and strained against the ice, pulled its captured tentacles from the cold prison, smashing and crumbling the ice with its free appendages if it couldn't pull the captured ones free, but each time it did something to break the ice, new ice would quickly be put there again and it would have to start over. It howled in frustration.

Bay snickered. "What's wrong, buddy?" she called out. "Don't ya like your ice cell? Whoa-ahhh!" The teen was suddenly thrown off the wave as the beast suddenly jerked one of its tentacles, right beneath her, free and swung it up through her icy wake, breaking it and thus cutting off the trail. Bay went freefalling. Throwing out her hands, she thought to form a small pillow of air beneath her to both slow and cushion her fall just before she hit the cement. "Ugh!" The air pocket did just what it was supposed to do, but the impact was still fairly hard and knocked the wind out of her, forcing her to lay there for a moment before she slowly began to sit up. "Okay…" she wheezed, rubbing her head, "… I don't think… that worked." A shadow fell over her. Looking up, the junior saw a large chunk of ice falling down right on top of her, and, without a second thought, leapt to her feet and ran back out of the way towards the 'bots, adrenaline making her forget about her pain.

"So much for that idea," Bumblebee mumbled as they all stood there watched the monster thrash itself free.

Optimus' comm-link suddenly bleeped and Ratchet's voice returned. /_**Ratchet to Prime, I'm beaming the override via Teletran 1. But these nanobots are so primitive, you're gonna have to upload it manually.**_/ All at once and orange-yellow beam shot up out of the water and into the sky and a moment later an orange device that almost reminded Bay of a small satellite came down from the sky and pulled up in front of the Prime. /_**As far as I can tell from the scan, your creature has concentrated all its higher command functions into a highly protected central processor.**_/ A compartment in the satellite opened up and out slid a device that looked like some weird, giant, USB drive crossed with a sai. /_**Which means, the only way to deliver this fix is from inside that thing.**_/

Optimus took up the USB and looked towards the monster. _**Inside**_ that thing? They had to get inside the monster in order to stop it? His tank churned just the slightest bit.

All at once, the nanobot monster reached out a leg and placed it on one of the freighters that was docked nearby. It started to absorb the boat.

"Uh… what happens when that thing eats a whole ship?" Bay gulped. This thing seemed to grow bigger with whatever it ingested and it was huge from everything it'd taken in already! How big would it get with that freighter inside it?

"Well, let's upload this override before we find out," Prime replied, pushing away his squeamishness. But just how were they going to upload the override exactly? That was the question. The team leader thought for a moment before saying, "We need someone small and fast." As he said this he looked over and Bumblebee and his gaze caused both Bulkhead and Bay to look at the small yellow and black 'bot, catching on to what he was implying.

Bumblebee looked around him, finding that everybody had their optics and eyes on him. His tank knotted in dread. "Why is everybody looking at me?" he dared the question even though he already knew what the answer was going to be.

"'Cuz you're the only one of us here who's both small enough and fast enough," Bay answered with a slight smirk.

Optimus turned to face the younger 'bot. "We can do it if we work as a team, Bumblebee," he assured him, handing him the code. "Bulkhead, Bay, and I will keep the creature distracted." They were all cast in shadow and the four looked up just in time to see the last of the ship the monster had ingested disappear within the beast. Just as predicted, the monster had grown. It was almost twice the size now than it was before it had made a meal of the freighter!

"While I fly all the way up there like a Decepticon?" 'Bee laughed cynically. "As if!"

"You can do it, buddy!" Bulk encouraged him, clapping him on the back with his wrecking ball. "With a little speed," he swung his wrecking ball up so that he was pointing at the parking garage across the way that was almost exactly level with the monster's head now, "and a big ramp."

Bumblebee stared at the building in some horror. Why did it have to be him? Why did it always have to be him?! The little, yellow compact suddenly felt a warm, reassuring hand on his lower stabilizing servo and looked down to see Bay looking up at him with faith in her green eyes and a reassuring smile on her lips. "Ya got this, 'Bee," she cheered him, giving his leg a pat. "We all believe in ya."

'Bee looked from her, back up to the monster, and back over to the top of his "ramp". After a second or two he sighed heavily and looked back at his friends with a sheepish smile. "Ya know," he stated, "all things considered, fixin' space-bridges wasn't such a bad gig." That said, the mech transformed to his new alt. mode and speed away into the parking garage.

Much to everyone else's surprise, the monster watched on after him and reached out with a tentacle, as if it were trying to snag the young Autobot.

"You think it knows what we're up to?" Bulk inquired.

Bay sprinted forward. "Hhhaaaaahhh! Uh!" Throwing a hand forward, splayed open, she punched a blast of wind out at the tentacle, forcing it back.

Optimus held up his axe again and the staff of it extended out a considerable distance. Hoisting it up over his shoulder, he charged forward, jammed it down into the pavement and pole-vaulted up to knock another tentacle out of the way as it reached out in the direction Bumblebee had gone. "Uh!" He landed in a crouch back on the ground, just narrowly missing having his head swiped off by another tentacle. "It's certainly getting smarter," the Prime agreed. "Smart like Prowl." It suddenly clicked in Optimus' processor and his optics widened at the realization of what was happening. Without a second thought he opened his comm-link. "Bumblebee," he cried. "Abort!"

/_**Can't stop now,**_/ Bumblebee answered. /_**I'm almost at launch speed!**_/

Forcing tentacle away from her with some fire, Bay whipped around to give the Autobot leader an inquiring look. "What's wrong? Guys, look out!" But her warning came too late, because the monster already had Bulk and Prime in its tentacles and was pulling them into its body. "Guys!" The bender barreled towards them and jumped up, just barely managing to grab hold of the tentacle that was holding Bulkhead. Bracing her feet against the bulbous Autobot's backside, she started pulling with all her might, trying to pry the appendage loose because it was the only thing she could think of to do. It didn't work.

Bulkhead himself was bashing his wrecking ball hand against the tentacle, desperately trying to free himself.

Optimus was hacking at the tentacle that held him with his axe. "That creature's merged with Prowl's comm-link!" he exclaimed. "It's heard everything we're saying."

"Huuuh-ahh! Because ya didn't think to switch channels when Prowl got eaten?!" Bay howled accusingly as she still tried to free Bulkhead. "Ahhh!" She was suddenly wrapped in a tentacle and held tightly enough so that she couldn't bend. "Not again!" the teen complained as she too was brought closer to the beast's underbelly. She started struggling. "Hey! No! You can't eat me! I'm a human! **FOR THE GOOD LOVE OF GOD, I'M A HUMAN, YA MORON!**"

Evidently the beast wasn't listening or else it didn't like being called a moron because whatever the reason it kept bringing them all closer and closer until the monster sucked them all in.

Bay was the last one to be absorbed. It was the most terrifying, most stomach-churning ordeal she had ever experienced. Just watching that pale underbelly of the beast loom closer and closer was frightening enough, but to watch it suck her ankles in and then work its way up the rest of her body so that it felt like she was being pulled under by quicksand was almost too much. The slurping, squishing, squelching, belching sounds the beast made were enough to make her want to hurl. The sliminess didn't help matters. Bay stretched her neck out and reclined her head back as far as she could, hoping and praying that Bumblebee uploaded the code before she was completely sucked in. She took as deep a breaths as she could, wanting to savor the taste of the fresh air, wanting to remember what it was like. Finally she was pulled under. "No! No! No! **NOOOO!**"

Utter blackness and sliminess surrounded her, and for a moment the sixteen-year-old became claustrophobic, panicking, thinking that this was the end. And then without warning there was a jolt of electricity that dried everything up and she was falling through the air with what looked like dust but her millions upon millions of the little nanobots that had created that one ginormous monster, all of them deactivated. "Ahhhhhhh-oof!" Bay lay where she landed, dazed and bewildered. She could see blue sky, clouds, and the sun above her with some birds flying overhead. Fresh air gentle blew passed her in a cool breeze. Gradually a smile pulled at the girl's lips and she relaxed with a sigh. Bumblebee had done it. The beast was defeated and they were all safe now. It was all over.


	11. Visions of Mystery

**Finally got this updated! Sorry, if it's a crappy, rambling chapter—it's gonna take a little bit for me to get back into the flow or writing this. I know, I know—that's not a good excuse, but it's what you're gonna get. XP**

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>The Track Team; <em>Chakras<em>

9

Visions of Mystery

The sun warming her, Bay heaved a heavy sigh of relief and relazed, the adrenaline seeping out of her system. Victory had never felt so great. Then again, she'd never gone up against a giant monster that had eaten (or was it more like absorbed?) her either, so maybe that made it feel so wonderful.

"Uh… would you mind getting off?" a familiar voice drew Bay from her moment of peace.

Opening her eyes, the smile slipping away, the teen cocked an eyebrow she reached a hand out and patted the surface below her. She grew even more confused. Why did the ground feel like warm metal and not pavement like it was supposed to? Was she just imagining things? Bay knocked her knuckles against the surface and was rewarded with a clanging sound. Nope, not imagining things. It was metal. With a light grunt, the black-haired girl rolled over onto her side and looked up. A pair of aqua-blue optics met her jade green eyes. Bay's face flushed beet red, her eyes widening to three times their size, as she realized the situation. She'd landed on Optimus' chestplate. Worse—she'd _**relaxed**_ on Optimus' chestplate! She'd never been more embarrassed in her entire life, and from the looks of it, neither had Prime.

Quickly sitting up, the junior scooted away until she fell off the side of his chest to the ground, and, even then, she kept backing away until she was a good distance off, sitting in a pile of deactivated microbots. "Uh… um… uh…." She stuttered around for something to say, but could find nothing.

"How 'bout we just forget this even happened?" Optimus suggested, sitting up. His faceplate was almost as red as his armor.

Bay nodded. "Agreed," she squeaked.

Bodding back, the Autobot cleared his throat and stood. After looking around for a moment, he walked away.

The sixteen-year-old watched after him and saw that he was going over to Prowl. She smiled and stood up. A part of her felt like she should go over there and check to see how the ninja-bot was, but with Optimus over there now it would be… awkward to say the least. Besides at that moment she suddenly remembered something—or rather some_**one**_. Bay gasped. "Sari!" Breaking into a sprint, the junior went in search of the younger girl. "Sari? Sari!" Bay called out, worry for her young friend seeping in. Where was Sari? Was she okay? The last she'd seen of the child she'd been caught up in the monster's tentacles just like she had been. Had the beast swallowed her up too? The teen started to dig through the piles upon piles of microbots. If she didn't find Sari, she was so dead. Whether Mr. Sumdac knew that she'd been hanging around with his daughter or not and had expected her to protect the girl _**she'd**_ never let herself live it down! "Sari! Cone on, kid, answer me! Let me know where ya are!"

"Pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleeeaaase?!" a familiar voice begged desperately.

Looking up from the pile of nanbots she was currently digging her way through, Bay's gaze shifted over towards where the Autobots were now sitting in their alternate modes. She could see Sari hanging half in and half out of Bumblebee's driver's side window, talking to him. The teen sighed in relief. Thank God! Sari was safe. Then she saw the small girl leap into 'Bee's interior just before his window rolled up, sealing her inside. The Autobots began to move out back towards the lake. Once again, Bay panicked. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" she quietly exclaimed, jumping to her feet and running in that direction. She had to get Sari back to her dad and let him know she was okay—she couldn't let her go down to the bottom of the lake with the Autobots! "Sari! Bumblebee! Wai—oof!" The sixteen-year-old slipped on a pile of nanobots and fell flat on her face. "Ow…." Pushing herself up onto her hands and knees, the girl shook her head and looked back up to see that the 'bots were already disappearing beneath the surface of the water. She cursed to herself. Great. Just great! Now she had to go down there and bring Sari back up! Growling and grumbling, the teen got back on her feet, marched over to the ramp and started down it into the water, forming an air bubble around herself. "This day just keeps getting' more fan-flippin'-tastic by the minute."

Moving as quickly as could while bending at the same time, Bay tried to keep up with the Autobots so that she wouldn't get shut out of the ship. At the same time, however, she tried to stay far enough back so that she wouldn't be noticed(the last thing she needed was Optimus taking this chance to lock her up). It wasn't at all easy to do. In the end Bay had to let the air bubble drop in order to jettison herself to get inside the ship before she was locked out, and even then she almost didn't make. But ultimately she did, and that was the important thing. Now all that was left to do was to find Sari and get them both out of here. How she planned on doing that, the junior had no idea yet, but she would think of something. She hoped.

Walking out into the main hallway, Bay looked this way and then that, trying to figure out where to go before finally settling to go to the right. Without further ado, the teen crept off down the hall, looking and listening for anything that might tell her where Sari was while trying to keep out of sight. If the other 'bots found her, that'd be one thing, but if old Greasy Gears caught sight of her…. The girl had just had enough of him for one day.

Without warning the sound of a car alarm blared at deafening resonance throughout the halls. Crying out, Bay pressed her hands over her ears to try and shut it out. "Holy crap!" she screamed, wincing at the tone. "Somebody shut it off!"

All at once down a hall to her left Bumblebee, still in his car form, appeared for a brief second, throwing something out of his interior and depositing it down some type of chute. He disappeared again.

"Sari!" Bay gasped, running off in that direction. Coming upon the chute, the teen knelt down and leaned into the hole, looking down it. "Sari?" she called out. "Sari?" She leaned in a little bit further, and that's when her hands met a slick spot on the metal. Caught off guard, the girl fell forward into the chute and slid down it with a cry of alarm. "Whoa-oh-oh! Ahh!" All at once she was no longer sliding, but was falling through thin air and landing with a hard thud, on her shoulders upside-down on the floor before settling flat on her back. "Uhh…." Seriously, what was it with her and being a klutz today?! Honestly!

"Bay?"

Groaning, Bay opened her eyes and looked up to see Sari staring down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Sari," she greeted the girl.

"You okay?"

"I can honestly say that I have had better days, kid."

Giggling, Sari come closer and extended her hand to the older girl. "Well, here, let me help you up," she offered.

"Thanks," Bay replied with a nod, gratefully taking her hand.

All at once a bright, blue glow lit the room, casting everything in strange eerie shadows. The girls exchanged a look before slowly, turning around to see a large orange, box type thing sitting in the center of the room. The box was open, and inside of it was a bright, blue orb. The orb was what cast the light out as it glowed and pulsated, giving off a soft, soothing hum as it did so. "Whoa!" both girls marveled.

"What is it?" Sari questioned, mesmerized by the orb.

"I have no idea," Bay answered, just as mesmerized. Whatever it was, it was sure beautiful… captivating… entrancing. Before long Bay was completely hypnotized by the orb, unable to take her eyes off of it all—like she and the orb were the only things in the world. It was almost as if it was speaking to her….

* * *

><p><em>Bay found herself standing at the mouth of a cave. She remained there for a moment before she was suddenly drawn into the cave mouth, not moving on her own freewill into it, but more so that she was simply being pulled into the cave. All at once the teenager wasn't alone. <em>

_Standing next to her was a girl who did not appear to be much older than she was herself. The girl was tall and dark skinned, with long, kinky black hair that fell down past her waist and dark eyes that gazed out at the world with an ever present intensity. She seemed to be dressed in animal skins and wore jewlery made up of the teeth and claws and feathers of animals. The young woman stood upright, tall a straight, unmoving and seemingly unmovable, her gaze ever fixed ahead as though she were trying to stare something down._

_Bay raised an eyebrow and raised a hand up to pass in front of the girl's face. "Hello?" she singsonged. "Yoo-hoo. Anybody in there?" The girl didn't respond. Even more confused, Bay reached out to jostle her shoulder to see if that would break the girl out of her trance. Her hand went right through her. Yelping in alarm, Bay stumbled away a bit. The girl was a ghost! But wait… if the other girl was a ghost shouldn't she be seeing her in the setting of the Autobots' ship rather than in this cave? Was Bay the ghost? No, she couldn't be a ghost because she wasn't dead. At least she didn't think she was. "What the Sam Hill is goin' on here?" Bay demanded to really nobody as she perched her fists on her hips. That's when the sixteen-year-old noticed something disturbing. The other girl was chained to the floor of the cave, cuffs around her wrists and ankles. "What the holy hobgoblins?!"_

_Suddenly they weren't alone, as a whole group of other people, men and woman of many nationalities and dress, appeared around them. Though both girls were in the center of the group, they all seemed to have their sights trained on the girl who was chained up. _

_Suddenly the people at the head of them parted and an old, withered man—most likely an elder judging from his elaborate clothing—came slowly shuffling through them, supporting much of what little weight he had on a crooked wooden staff. He stopped in front of the girl and regarded her with a hard gaze for a moment. Then he lifted his staff and shakily pointed it at her declaring in the gravelly, husky voice of an old, wise man, "You have been chosen. At the very beginning of time the Elder Scrolls were written. Upon them was a prophecy, stating that when the time came and the Earth was threatened with a great evil She would pick a girl to inhabit and give her the power to protect our home—Her kingdom. And She would continue to do this in the face of great evil. She has chosen you to be the first of these warriors. Do you accept this fate?"_

"_I do," the girl answered with all the assurance in the world. "I gladly accept this fate and will become Her servant. I will be Her instrument and will allow Her to use me as She sees fit."_

_Setting his staff back on the ground and leaning against it with a satisfied look on his face, the old man nodded slowly and made a hum. "Let the bonding commence."_

* * *

><p>"Bay!"<p>

The shout brought Bay out of her trance. With a quiet groan, the teen squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed them before shaking and rubbing her head, trying to clear the haze out of it. That had most definitely been weird. Opening her eyes again, the girl looked around to see that she was back in the spaceship (had she even left?) with both Sari and the orange box—which was now closed—beside her. She looked down to see the younger girl gazing up at her with a quizzical look. "What?" the junior said after a moment, feeling a bit uncomfortable about being stared at.

"It was really weird," Sari commented, still staring at Bay. "All of a sudden you became stock still and your eyes started glowing and then you started mumbling to yourself."

Bay blushed a bit. "I did?"

"Yeah. What was that all about?"

The older girl shook her head, just as lost as Sari was. "I have no idea, kid," she answered. Then she looked over at the box again. "But I got a feelin' it has somethin' to do with that glowin' orb in there."

"Uh, ya think?" Sari replied. She held up the security key hanging on the lanyard around her neck. "Look what it did to my key!"

Bay's eyes widened in surprise. Sari's security key wasn't a card anymore, it was in the shape of a literal key! Reaching out towards it to touch it as if she needed physical proof that what she was seeing was real, Bay cocked her head, entirely baffled by this. "How…?"

"It just shot out this beam of light and the next thing I know my key's all screwed up!" Sari answered, looking more than a little irked by what had happened to her key.

"D'ya think it'll still work?"

"I better or else that thing owes me a security deposit! Whoa!" All of a sudden Sari was plucked up by a large blue hand and lifted into the air.

Bay swung around to see Optimus standing there behind him. Almost immediately her hackles raised and she growled, loathing the very sight of the 'bot. This jerk! First he yelled at her and accused her of being dangerous; then he had the gall to rescue her like some damsel in distress that she totally wasn't; then he snuck up behind them while she and Sari were having a private conversation; and now he was man-handling Sari! "Put her down, 'Bot boy," she snarled threateningly, fists clenched tightly. She was all ready to let loose if she had to.

"How did you get aboard this ship?" Optimus questioned as he looked at Sari quizzically, completely ignoring Bay which only ticked her off even more.

Sari could only stare on in awestruck wonder at the huge red and blue robot. This was too cool!

"Ask your mini, sub-compact," Bay answered for the girl. "Now put her down, Optimus. I won't tell ya again."

That time, Optimus did as he was told, though it still seemed to be more his idea anyway. Doing as Bay suggested, Optimus turned around to look at Bumblebee who was standing behind them, watching on sheepishly. "Bumblebee?" Prime asked, crossing his large arms over his massive chest.

"It followed me home," 'Bee answered with an awkward grin. "Can I keep it?"

"Hey!" Sari piped up. Turns out being called an 'it' was enough to break through her starstruck wonder and find her voice again. "I'm not an 'it'—I'm a 'she'!"

"Like Bay?" 'Bee questioned. "But you don't look the same."

"You know these guys?" Sari questioned, looking up at Bay in wonder.

"Not for very long," Bay answered, not looking down at the child. "Sari's a younger version of a 'she'," the teen addressed 'Bee's question.

"So I suppose you have an explanation as to how she followed you home?" Optimus asked the smaller, younger Autobot.

The yellow robot smirked. "Actually," he replied, "I'm narrowing it down to my top five."

Optimus turned back to the girls and focused his attention on Bay, narrowing his gaze. "And how did you get back down here then?"

Bay rolled her eyes. "I can make it so I can walk underwater, duh," she answered snappishly. Turning her attention to Sari, the sixteen-year-old grabbed the girl and pulled her close, her protective instincts kicking in. "Look, I just came down here to get Sari, okay? Just let us off this ship and we'll get outta your… oh. You guys don't have hair, do ya?"

Grunting and struggling, Sari broke out of Bay's grip and pushed away from her. "Speak for yourself!" she snapped, giving the teen and incredulous look. "You can get outta here and never come back if you want to, Bay," she waved the teen off, "but I've been wanting to meet real-live aliens my whole life!"

"You're eight," Bay pointed out flatly, arms crossed over her chest.

"So? That's about five years of wanting to meet some and now I have! You're not taking that chance away from me."

"You don't think your dad wants to know you're okay?" Bay challenged. She had a younger brother, so she was all but a master at reasoning and persuasion. It was a true artistic skill.

Sari became quiet for minute, thinking over the statement. For a second or two it looked as though she was getting ready to retort something else back, but then she finally took on the look of defeat and her shoulder's slumped, head hanging. "Fine," she grumbled.

Suddenly Optimus comm-link opened up and Ratchet's voice—urgent in tone—came over it. /_**Prime, you better get up here now!**_/

"That must be Prowl," Optimus stated. He quickly wheeled around and ran out of the room and back down the hall.

"Wait, what's wrong with Prowl?" Bay questioned Bumblebee, who was about ready to take off, too.

"Hey got hurt real bad while he was inside that monster," 'Bee explained quickly. "Doc 'bot's workin' on him, but we're not sure if he'll pull through." With that, the yellow and black 'bot darted off after his leader.

Bay's blood froze as she stared after the Autobot in disbelief. Prowl? Seriously injured? The junior's stomach sank in dismay and she chewed on her lip nervously. Even though she'd just met him and only talked to him briefly, the teen didn't mind the black and gold ninja-bot. He seemed friendly and nice, if a bit aloof. She definitely didn't want him wounded, let alone dead—which according to Bumblebee and judging from the urgency in Ratchet's voice—was probably what he was very close to. Shaking of her worry, the teen began running in the direction the 'bots had gone. "Come on, Sari!" she called over her shoulder.

* * *

><p>When the girls got to the med-bay, all of the Autobots were gathered around a tall metal table that Prowl was lying upon. Ratchet was bent over the mech with what looked like battery-charger cables in his grasp, and was inserting them in to a large, gaping wound in Prowl's chest. He was frantically trying to stabilize the 'bot, but it just wasn't working! The medic cursed to himself in Cybertronian. "The circuit damage is too extensive," he reported. "I can't keep 'im stable!"<p>

Absentmindedly, Bay raised a hand to her mouth and started chewing at her already blunt fingernails—a habit she had whenever she was nervous or worried. Prowl wasn't going to die… was he? All at once out of the corner of her eye, the sixteen-year-old caught a bright light, and she looked down towards it. Sari's key… it was glowing! "Sari, your key!" she exclaimed.

The younger girl looked down to see what Bay was talking about and her brown eyes widened in fascination as well. That's when the key seemed to power up and float into the air, pulling Sari towards the berth and Prowl. "Whoa!"

Having noticed the commotion, Bumblebee had a brilliant idea. At least, he thought it was brilliant. Maybe it wasn't brilliant, but in their current situation, they didn't' have many other better options, so he went with it. Reaching down, he grabbed the child by the back of her jumper, and lifted her up onto the berth. Sari looked back over her shoulder at the 'bot in confusion. He nodded his encouragement.

A silly grin creasing Sari's face, she grabbed her key, turned back towards Prowl, and scrambled across to the other side of his chest. Once there, she held the key out over the wound. Before her very eyes the end of the key transformed into a completely different shape and for a moment she stared in awe. This stuff just kept getting more and more awesome! Looking back at Prowl, the little girl slowly lowered the key and inserted it into a lock that was the same shape as the one the key had turned into. The second the key was in place, a burst of light shot up out of the lock. Startled, Sari pulled the key back.

In the blink of an eye, the wound on Prowl's chassis had closed, making it look like there had never been one there to begin with. With a groan, the black and gold 'bot sat up and shook his head. "That is… quite the cure," he stated.

Everyone else stared on in disbelief. "How… but… wha… huh?" Bay stammered, perfectly voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Can all she's do that?" 'Bee broke the silence after a period.

"_**I**_ don't even know how I did that," Sari confessed, looking just as baffled as everyone else.

Optic ridge raised, Optimus shook his head and sighed heavily. "At this point, nothing surprises me," he declared. "I've seen more action in this one solar cycle than my entire Cybertron service career."

"Same here," Bay concurred. "Except for the "Cybertron service career" thing."

Ratchet suddenly turned towards a monitor that was playing a feed from above. "Solar cycle's not over yet," he stated glumly.

"I think my dad's looking for me," Sari said.

'Dad'. Bay suddenly gasped at the word, eyes widening. "Crap!" she exclaimed. "_**My**_ dad!" Professor Sumdac wasn't the only one up there; her father would be up there wondering where she was and looking for her as well. He was probably freaking out right now! It would be just like that time when he'd taken her to the park when she was little and she'd ran off and fallen asleep underneath the playground equipment for about two hours, only a lot worse. The teen had felt horrible enough about that all her life, she really didn't want this on her conscience either! "We need to get up there, now! Come on, Sari." She turned around and started to leave.

"We'll take you," Optimus said.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Bay said, sounding a bit miffed. "We'll go on our own—I can get us up there fine." A large blue foot was suddenly planted firmly in front of her and the green-eyed girl looked up with a glare to see the large Prime glaring back down at her in turn.

"I'm not asking," he stated adamantly, "I'm telling. We will take you back up to the surface. We need to show your public we're not here to hurt them."

Bay crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the stink eye. "Oh, really?" she replied. "And tell me, Prime-time, just how to ya plan on doin' that?"

"We'll think of something," Prime assured her. "Trust me."

"I don't trust _**you**_ a lick," Bay snapped back.

"Well, apparently we do have something in common then," Optimus stated. With that he transformed and opened his passenger side door. "Hop in."

Bay shifted back a bit, giving him a disbelieving look. "What are you, my official chauffer now?"

"Just. Get. In."

With a grumble, Bay did just that. Pulling the seat belt down, she settled in as comfortably as she could (in all honesty, Prime's seats were pretty comfy—but she'd never admit it) and turned to look out the window. She didn't want to talk.

That seemed to be just fine with Optimus. "Autobots," he said, "transform and roll out."

The others all changed to their alternate modes. After Sari jumped inside Ratchet, they all took off for the surface, none of them sure what would happen once they got up there.

* * *

><p>"So, um…" Optimus spoke as they all once again exited the ship and drove up the incline of the bank as they headed for the surface, "… how do humans normally react to… other worldly beings?"<p>

As she looked out the window, Bay smirked to herself, quickly deciding to have a little fun with this guy. It was just too good a chance to pass up! "Well, that's a tricky," she answered, looking at his radio and relaxing back in the seat. "Humans don't usually take well to aliens. We don't like the idea of there bein' other beings out there that are stronger and more powerful than us. It all depends really."

"Depends on what?"

"Just how powerful you guys are and what technology you have. I mean, if you guys were organic law enforcement and the government would probably wipe y'all out so that you couldn't probe us or infect us or turn us into some kinda alien lab rats. But you 'bots—you're basically walkin' tech. Because of that they probably won't kill ya, but they could take ya into custody, lock ya down, and open you guys up to see just what makes ya tick." As she spoke, Bay's facial features became hard and dead serious, as did the look in her eyes and her voice. She had to make this as believable as possibly if she wanted to play him right into her hands.

A slight shiver went through Optimus and for a brief moment he reconsidered returning to the surface. Maybe they should just dump the kids off here and head straight back for the ship, power it up, and get the heck out of here! He didn't want to be turned into some experiment! That didn't sound pleasant at all!

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Bay cracked a smile and snorted before bursting out laughing. She wrapped her arms around her middle, she laughed so hard.

It was then Prime understood that she'd been joking. He calmed down, but only for a second, then his ire was up again and he growled menacingly. "That's not funny," he stated firmly.

Bay was laughing too hard to reply.

"How 'bout I just open up the door and let you out here right now, underwater?"

Managing to gain some composure, Bay dried her eyes and sat up to look at his radio. "Oh sure," she said, still giggling. "By all means, go right ahead. You'll just get your whole interior water-logged and your electronics fried if you do. Come to think of it, that might actually be pretty funny. Do it! Do it! Do it!"

Optimus growled in irritation again. "Are all humans as intolerable and annoying as you are?" he demanded.

With a sigh, Bay smirked and polished her knuckles on her scarf as she leaned back and put her feet up on the Autobot's dash. "Nope, I'm pretty much the only one like that," she answered. "You got lucky, Prime—I'm one of a kind."

"Oh, yeah, I got lucky all right," Optimus grumbled to himself. "Would you get your stabilizing servos off my console?"

"They're called 'feet', not 'stabilizing servos'."

"Fine, would you get your _**feet**_ off then?"

"Mmm… nah. I feel quite comfortable like this."

Prime snarled. "Get 'em off!" He released the passenger side air bag, not enough so that it was completely inflated, but enough so that Bay's legs and feet were forced off his dash and up into the air, her face in her knees.

"Oof!" Bay groaned as her knees were all but shoved into her mouth. "Okay, okay! I'll put 'em down! Sheesh!"

The Autobot withdrew the airbag again. "Thank you," he said smugly.

Grumbling to herself, Bay placed her feet back on the floor and once again resumed looking out the window.

The crew finally broke through the surface of the lake and drove up the ramp onto the pavement. When their rides stopped, Sari and Bay exited their vehicles, allowing their respective mechs to transform to their original modes. "Don't worry," Sari assured Ratchet after he'd transformed. "Humans don't usually blow up things with those symbols on the side." She was referring, of course, to his ambulance logo.

"Really? And here I thought they made me an easier target," Ratchet replied sarcastically.

Bay couldn't help but snort at that.

All at once they were call caught in the headlights of the cop cars and SWAT vehicles that surrounded them. "Put your hands were I can see 'em!" a voice that sounded an awful lot like Captain Fanzone's ordered.

'Bee crouched down and whispered to the girls, "Why do they want us to do that?"

"Standard procedure," Bay answered with a shrug. She wasn't all that sure about why the cops did it herself, but it just seemed like it was part of the deal.

"I think it makes you look less scary of something," Sari added.

With that, all the Autobots proceeded to raise their hands in the air. In response, all of the humans gasped and started murmuring in alarm, the sound of guns being cocked ringing out through the night.

"I don't think it's working," Bay pointed out through clenched teeth, referring to Sari's theory.

With a gasp, Sari quickly jumped out in front and waved her hands in the air. "It's okay!" she yelled. "Their friendly! Well… except for the red and white one—he's kinda grumpy! But other than that…!

There was the sound of a relieved gasp and a second later Professor Sumdac emerged from the lights and was running towards them with arms wide open. "Sari!" he cried in relief. "Thank goodness you are okay!" Reaching his daughter, he hugged her tightly to him, looking like he was never going to let go. The girl hugged back.

"Lower your weapons," Fanzone's voice ordered again.

Bay turned to the 'bots with a smile. "It's okay, fellas," she assured them. "You can put your hands down now."

The 'bots did just that, seeming to relax a bit more now that they were being looked at down the barrels of guns.

Fanzone then appeared from the lights and came marching up to them, his sights trained on Bay. "Calecto," he addressed the sixteen-year-old, "come 'ere."

With a quiet groan, Bay folded her hands behind her back and slowly approached the Police Captain, mentally preparing herself for another tongue lashing about destroying public property. "Yeah, Captain?"

"You prob'bly don't know this yet," the big man said, "but your daddy was taken to the hospital earlier today."

Eyes wide in alarm, Bay's head shot up, her stomach twisting into a knot once again. "What?! Is he okay? What happened?!"

Fanzone held out a hand. "Easy, easy, kid," he tried to calm her. "He's fine. He just got a little dinged up in the explosion and might have a concussion, but other than that he's gonna be fine. Your mom and brother are already at the hospital with him. Now the question is do you have enough fare to take a bus or would you like me to take you there?"

"Could you take me, Captain?" the teen asked. "Please?"

The cop made a wordless nod and turned around to head in the direction of his car. Bay followed right after him on his heels, but not before she heard Sari ask Professor Sumdac, "Sooo can we keep 'em?"


	12. Let the War Begin!

**Took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with this thing, how I wanted to do it, and now that it's finally here, I'm still not all that pleased with it, but I'll take what I can get. I, myself, am not much of a prankster, so….**

**I really have no idea about the timeline of this chapter. All I know is that it happens before the 'bots finally get their base. That's next chapter.**

**Skyress98—Why thank you. :)**

**AllSpark Princess—Maybe. I'm not telling.**

**wolflink968—Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoy.**

**KittyKatt25—Hope you get your wish here. ;)**

**Alice Gone Madd—And she's back again. Yay.**

**Guest (whoever you are)—Thank you. Yes, Bay can heal humans. She has always been able to do this—it is nothing new.**

**Shadescribe—Don't worry. Eventually they will come to a truce and make friends with one another. Knowing me, it pretty much has to happen.**

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>The Edwin Davids Jazz Band; <em>Benny Hill<em>

10

Let the War Begin!

Two Days Later;

Breakfast tray in hand, Bay made her way up the stairs and down the hall to her parents' bedroom and stopped in front of the door, knocking on it with her foot. When she heard her father call out "Come in" the teen balanced the tray with one arm and her side and opened the door with her other hand, quickly grabbing the tray again once she'd unlatched the door. Using her shoulder, she pushed her way into the room. "Mornin', Daddy," she greeted her father with a smile.

Looking up from the paper, Michael smiled back at his daughter. "Morning, Sweetheart," he lovingly greeted back. He took of his reading glasses and folded the paper back up before setting it down on the comforter beside him. The man turned back to his daughter.

Bay came across the room and around to his side of the bed, handing the breakfast tray over to him. "Eggs sunny-side up, crispy bacon, and toast with butter and jam, with orange juice" the teen gave the order, pointing to each item in particular. "All compliments of Mom."

Michael rubbed his palms together and licked his lips, gazing hungrily around his plate as he tried to decide what to dig into first. "Your mother knows just how to take care of me," he remarked, picking up the fork and filling it with eggs. "Mm-mm!" the man exclaimed when he'd taken a bite. "Delicious!" Breakfast was more definitely his favorite meal of the day.

Giggling, Bay sat down on the edge of the bed. She studied him for a moment before finally asking, "How are ya feelin' this mornin', Dad?"

"Better," Michael mumbled through a mouthful of eggs and bacon. He swallowed. "Much better. Neck still hurts a little bit, though."

His daughter smiled and turned her attention to the currently untouched glass of water sitting on his breakfast tray. "I think I can take care of that," she declared, pulling the water out of it. Crawling over to sit on the other side of him, Bay carefully undid the neck-brace around her father's neck and brought the water up, focusing on his spine and working it there.

Soon enough the water began to glow. The tension in Michael's shoulders and back began to ease away and he relaxed, sighing with relief. "Thanks, baby," he groaned gratefully.

"Don't mention it, Dad," Bay replied, bending the water back into the glass and carrying off to her parents' bathroom to dump it. When she came back she sighed. "I just don't get it," she commented, sitting back down beside her dad and putting the glass back on the tray. "I mean, I know that Mom isn't comfortable with my powers, but ya think she'd at least let me use 'em to heal you up faster."

Michael chuckled as he took a swig of orange juice. "Your mother is a traditionalist, Bay," he explained. "She likes things done the old fashioned way, even if an honest shortcut could do a lot of good."

"Yeah, well Mom's just weird," Bay commented. "And not in the good way."

Michael sighed heavily and put his fork down, wiping his mouth off. "Bay," he said after a moment, "Mom loves you. You know that, right?"

Bay sighed and leaned all of her weight on her arms as she leaned back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "Yeah," she replied, "I know." She looked at her father again with long-suffering pain in her emerald green eyes. "It's just hard to believe sometimes," she stated, voice quivering and hardly above a whisper.

"Well, believe it," Michael replied. "She does. I can assure you she does."

"Then why does she act like such a witch to me all the time?" Bay all but demanded, leaning forward, the sheen of tears in her eyes. "Why is she so offended by what I can do? Why does she try to keep me from doin' what I love?!"

"I don't know, baby," Michael confessed shaking his head. "I don't know."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room for a long time, in which Bay buried her face in her hands and tried to get her emotions back under control again. The last thing she wanted to do was go back out there with tear-stained cheeks and have her mother grill her about what was wrong. She didn't think she could take anymore of her mother directly for a while.

Finally Michael cleared his throat. "So," he said, picking up his fork again, "what's your plans for the weekend?" He picked up his fork and started eating again.

Drying her eyes Bay sat up. "Well, um," she sniffled, happy for the topic change, "the plan so far is to hang with the 'bots. Sari and I are gonna help them acclimate to Earth culture."

"Sounds like quite a project," Michael remarked with a smirk.

Bay snorted. "Yeah," she agreed with a nod. "You're tellin' me. But, uh, if Mom asks where I am…"

"Tell her you're at a friend's house studying," Michael interrupted. It was the excuse the two of them had conjured up to keep Amanda from finding out that Bay was hanging out with the giant alien robots that showed up in the city. The woman was already freaked out about them enough. One could only imagine what she might do if she found out her daughter with strange powers was socializing with them—she could very well suffer from a heart attack.

With a slight smile, Bay nodded. She looked over at the clock and cleared her throat, wiping away the last few tears and smoothing her hair back. "Speakin' of which," she said, standing up, "I'd better head." Leaning down she kissed her father's cheek. "Later, Daddy."

"Later, Punk," her father returned. He watched after her as she exited the room, calling out, "You need any cab fare?"

"Nope," Bay answered over her shoulder. "Got my own."

"Have fun."

"Yup."

"And, Bay…."

Bay stopped halfway out of the room and looked back over her shoulder.

"I know you and that big red and blue 'bot don't get along real well. But try not to make things too hard for him, okay?"

The girl gasped and put a hand over her chest, staring at her father in feigned shock. "Why, father," she said, innocently batting her eyes, "whatever do you think I would do to poor Optimus?" Bay then smirked deviously and wiggled her eyebrows with a wink, grabbing the door knob and leaving the room. "See ya."

* * *

><p>A taxi cab pulled up by the docs, amid all the construction, rebuilding, and cleanup that was taking place there, and the back passenger side door opened, a sixteen year old girl leaping spryly. Reaching into her pocket, Bay dug out her cab fare and handed it to the cab driver. "Thanks," she told him.<p>

"You, uh, you sure you're in the right place, kid?" the man asked, looking between the construction, the lake, and the teenager with a quizzical and somewhat concerned.

"Oh, yeah," Bay assured him. "Don't worry." With that she turned and jogged away over to the ramp and began to descend down into the water. Making lifting motions with her hands the water rose up around her in a bubble and she disappeared beneath the surface of the lake.

The taxi-cab driver stared and blinked before rubbing his eyes and looking back to see if he'd just been seeing things. Finally he shook his head and put his car in gear again. "I gotta cut back on the espresso," he muttered to himself, driving away.

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys, so here's the deal," Sari laid out the plan, she and Bay sitting side-by-side on one of the ship's seats looking up at their captive audience of Cybertronians standing before them. "You are all giant, thinking, feeling robots from another planet…"<p>

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Ratchet remarked sarcastically, arms crossed over his chestplate as he rolled his optics.

"Watch your tone, Ratch," Bay warned him, giving the medic the stink eye. "We organics may be a lot smaller and more fragile than you, but we still no how to play hardball. Besides if your disrespectful to us Sari and I will both leave you guys to your own devices and let y'all try and figure this stuff out on your own. Good luck with that."

The cantankerous old Autobot grumbled and muttered under his breath but said nothing further.

"Now," Sari went on, clearing her throat, "as I was saying before I was so _**rudely **_interrupted," she gave Ratchet a look, "you guys are aliens and pretty cool looking aliens at that."

"What's more you guys are now officially Detroit's heroes," Bay pointed out. "Both of these facts combined are gonna earn you a lot of publicity out there. People are gonna be wanting to know you, meet you, get pictures taken with you—you guys are all gonna be bonafide stars."

"Sounds like a good deal to me!" Bumblebee exclaimed with a laugh and a grin. He started striking poses and flexing. "There's a lot of me to show off! Which side is my good side?"

"Your backside," Prowl grumbled, fed up with the younger 'bot already, and the day was still quite young.

"I dunno," Prime remarked on 'Bee's previous statement. "Fame is all well and good in its own place, but too much of it is never really a good thing, especially with the Decepticons still out there. We could put the human's in real danger by being too conspicuous."

"Exactly what we were thinking," Bay nodded. (Wow! Was she actually agreeing with _**Prime**_?! Weird….) "And plus, all that aside, there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing"." The sixteen-year-old turned to Optimus for a moment and remarked rather snidely, "That won't be an issue with you, Optimus." (Okay! Now we were back to feeling normal!)

Prime scowled at her. Really? She wanted to start this early?

"Now," Sari cut back in before any damage could be done, "you guys have your vehicle modes—that's a really good start of keeping your identities on the DL."

"What's "the DL"?" Bulkhead questions, scratching his helm with one large digit.

"The down low," Bay answered. "Basically it means keeping out of sight and mind."

"But your vehicular modes aren't enough," Sari went on. "For one, normal Earth vehicles don't drive themselves. Now most of you might be able to get away with no driver's but Prowl? Not so much."

"People will gawk, stare, and all out freak if they see a motorcycle driving down the road without a driver," Bay explained further. "Not good."

"I believe I have a solution for that," Prowl commented. Without a second thought he quickly transformed to his alternate mode and a second later the image of a police officer flickered and appeared on his seat. "Will this do?" he questioned, the image seeming to be the one talking.

"A hologram will work for something as simple as helpin' to further keep your disguise," Bay replied with a nod. "But in terms of really submersin' yourselves in Earth culture—which is probably for the better because then you'll really be able to hide from the Decepticons—it won't be quite as effective."

"You guys said you could project something called "holoforms"?" Sari questioned, half-saying "holoforms" to herself to see if it sounded right.

"Yes," Prowl answered, transforming back to his original form. "They are not unlike my holograms, but they are solid, made up of hard-light particles."

"We can program them to take on the form of just about anything," Optimus went on. "Even smaller versions of ourselves."

"Everythin' about a holoform looks and feels real," Ratchet continued on with t explanation. "Typically we use 'em for scouting in small places that we can't get to or—in this case—blending in to our surroundings in a more effective way than we simply can as vehicles."

"They're actually pretty slick," 'Bee remarked.

"Can we see 'em?" Bay asked.

The 'bots all exchanged a look and came to a silent agreement, then they transformed to their alt. modes as one. A minute later miniature, human-sized versions of their robot selves appeared beside them. The girls gaped in awe. "Whoa…."

Jumping down from her perch Bay carefully made her way towards the holoforms and studied each other them. Everything about the holoforms matched their owners exactly! This was uncanny. And seriously cool! Finally coming up to Optimus' holoform, the teenager stopped and stood in front of it, staring up into his face for a long time. Finally she reached out and touched his shoulder. Her hand didn't go through him! "They certainly feel real," she reported to Sari. "Do holoforms feel pain?" she directed at the 'bots.

"They do," Ratchet answered. "Most of our consciousness transfers over to our holoforms when they're activated, so they have the ability of feeling everything that happens to them and that pain can transfer over to us, if it's powerful enough."

"Wounds can as well," Optimus added, "depending on the severity."

Bay nodded, thinking this information over. Unexpectedly she brought her knee up and bashed it into the Prime's midsection as hard as she could.

"Oof!" Optimus doubled over, arms wrapping around his middle. "What…" he wheezed in a pained voice, glaring up at the girl, "… was that for?!"

Bay shrugged. "Just testing it." Turning away, she walked back over to the chair and leaped up into it, pushing out a gust of air at her feet to help her make it. "Yup," she said to Sari with a smirk. "Holoforms do all they say they do." Crossing her legs she leaned against the seatback, arms behind her head. When she saw Optimus growling and glowering at her, the teen winked and waved innocently at him. She could see that only ticked him off more. Point!

"Oh-kay then," Sari said, raising an eyebrow and turning back to the others. "Do you guys think you could reprogram your holoforms to look like humans?"

"Course we can," Ratchet answered. "but why would we want to? Our holoforms are fine just the way they are."

"Yeah, sure, if you wanna be chased and hounded down by the media or your rapidly growin' face base every time you walk down the street in it," Bay responded, sitting forward and glaring down at the medic. "I suggest you reprogram 'em, Ratchet."

The white and red Autobot sighed heavily and rolled his optics, mumbling under his breath again. He'd never admit it, and he didn't like it, but he supposed the girls had a point. Besides, all things considered, he didn't have any desire to be found by the Decepticons again, and if this helped keep from 'cons from coming here….

"What should our new holoforms looks like?" Bulkhead questioned.

"Your gonna wanna look inconspicuous," Bay answered, "like nobodies. Just plain, ol' average joes that no one would look twice at."

"Bay and I both brought some pictures for you guys to look at and go through if you want," Sari offered. "Maybe you'll see a face you like or maybe you can combine some of the traits of different ones to be whoever." The 'bots all nodded and came forward as the girls jumped down to the floor, bringing their backpacks with them. "Okay, 'Bee," Sari grunted as she dug into her backpack and pulled out a folder, "these are some I found for you."

"Prowl, Bulk, here's some for you guys," Bay said, handing over her own folders.

"Ratchet, that one's yours," Sari stated. "And Optimus…"

"Oh, don't worry about Prime, Sari," Bay suddenly announced with a smile, "I already got him covered."

Everyone looked at her in shock, Optimus in particular. Bay had him covered? Since when did the girl care about helping solely him? They weren't exactly on that level of friendship… in as much as they weren't on _**any**_ level of friendship. "You… do?" Sari questioned, raising and eyebrow and cocking her head.

The teenager nodded enthusiastically. "Yup," she answered. "I have the perfect look for his holoform—he won't even have to look at anyone else!"

"I won't?" Optimus asked, sounding rather skeptical perching his fists on his hips and giving the girl a doubtful look.

Bay shook her head. "Nope," she said. "Trust me, Optimus, it's perfect. You'll be totally inconspicuous—a real nobody. Nobody will ever look twice at you." With that, the girl reached into her bag and pulled out a picture, handing it over to the 'bot.

Optimus took it and examined it carefully, looking his prospective holoform up and down. He had to admit, he rather liked the looks of it: distinguished and important enough to make a statement when he needed to, but still understated and normal human looking to fit in. But one thing about this whole concept still nagged at him. "Excuse me for being curt," he sighed, looking back at Bay, "but I'm confused. You've made it pretty clear that you don't like me, Bay. Why exactly are you helping me?"

Bay's smiled quickly dropped and she scowled at him. "Well, gee, I don't know," she replied sarcastically with overdramatic hand gestures. "Hmm, let's see. Could it possibly have somethin' to do with the fact that I'm not any fonder of the idea of giant, evil, alien robots comin' to Earth and destroyin' it than you are?" She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, tossing her nose in the air the slightest bit. "Hmph! Ya try to help somebody only to find out with somethin' only for them to be completely ungrateful in return!"  
>"Okay!" Optimus conceded, rolling his eyes. "Okay. I'm sorry, it's just… you've never done anything to help me before."<p>

Bay glowered at him over her shoulder. "Yeah, well, don't go gettin' used to it," she snipped. "Once you got your holoform changed we're back to normal, got it?"

"Gladly," Prime replied with a nod.

With that said and with their decisions made, the 'bots set about reprogramming their holoforms to take on their new looks.

* * *

><p>Up top, testing out holoforms;<p>

"Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Screaming, Optimus in his new holoform ran as fast as he could down the sidewalk trying to get away from the mob of women and girls chasing after him and shrieking in excitement. The Prime was in too much of a state to even think of simply turning his holoform off to get away. What was it with these organic females?! All stampeding after him like a herd of buffaloids and screaming things like "We love you, Chris!", "Marry me, Chris!", "Can I have your autograph Chris?!", "Aahh! It's Chris Hemsworth!"

It began to dawn on the Autobot that perhaps his new holoform was not as low profile as Bay had originally stated. Rounding the block for about the third time and seeing Bay rolling around on the ground in front of the others' holoforms who were all standing there in utter shock laughing so hard she was red in the face, Optimus came to the conclusion that that's exactly what was going on. In fact, it had been her plan all along! She's set him up! "**BAY!**" the mech roared as he ran past them all again.

Bay was far too busy laughing to respond. All she could do was sit up, point, and laugh even harder (if that was possible) at the poor 'bot's predicament, and she could barely even manage to do that. This had been her greatest idea yet!

"Prime!" Ratchet called, cupping holoform hands around his mouth. "Switch if off!"

"What?!"

"Your holoform! Switch! It! Off!"

"Oh, right!" Optimus quickly took the advice and turned his holoform off; it seemed to dissolve into thin air. All of the women who had been chasing it suddenly came to a screeching halt and stood there in dumbfounded silence, staring at where the holoform had last been before gazing around to see if he'd gone somewhere. Where had he gone?

Bay was still rolling around on the sidewalk, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Ah-hahahaha!" She smacked her palm against the sidewalk. "That was rich! That… was… too rich!"

Sitting close by in his vehicular form, Optimus growled lowly. "That was _**not**_ funny!" he hissed enraged.

Bay didn't even hear him. "Ow! Ow—oh, my stomach!" Forced by first the pain and then the need for air to stop, the teen eventually calmed down and sat up, panting and gasping. After a moment she looked over at Optimus sitting there by the curb. She bit her lip, her mouth forming into a smile again as her face went red and her cheeks slightly puffed out. Then she started up again. It was just too dang funny! "**BAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**" Hugging herself again, Bay fell over backwards again and started rolling around once more, peddling her feet in the air.

Utterly embarrassed and humiliated as well as revved off, Optimus growled again. So Bay wanted to prank him, huh? Well, fine! _**Two**_ could play at that game!

* * *

><p>Optimus walked into the bridge of the ship and walked over to his command center to complete the daily scan and make sure there weren't any Decepticons in the area. With Megatron having landed on this planet as well (though the Prime was sure he couldn't have survived that landing) and other Decepticons still out there, you could never be too careful. Especially when you had a whole city of organics to protect. It wasn't until he was pulling out his seat and the Prime looked down with a start. His chair was currently occupied. Bay was lying in it, and from the looks of it she was… what was the human equivalent of "in statis"?... sleeping. Optimus had to admit, the girl did look rather peaceful while she slept, almost innocent in fact. Too bad she couldn't stay like this all the time.<p>

The Prime sighed heavily, barely having the spark to disturb her because he knew that once he did she would start terrorizing him. Again. As was painfully normal with Bay.

And then like a bolt of lightning it hit Optimus. This was the prefect setup! Bay was completely asleep and unsuspecting—it was too golden an opportunity to pass up! The mech snickered evilly. Time for a little payback! Without a second thought Prime blared his horn and sirens as loudly as he could.

Startled Bay awoke with a scream and such a start that when she instinctively punched out a current of air she blew herself back off the chair and onto the floor. _**Thud!**_ The girl grimaced and sat up rubbing her head. "Ow…."

Optimus broke into a fit of uncontrollably guffaws, doubling over and bracing a hand against one of his knees while he pointed at Bay with the other. "Now _**that**_," he gasped between laughs, "was rich! Haaahahahahahahahahahaha!" Grabbing at his mid-plate and covering his optics with his hand Prime leaned back against the door for support.

Finally coming out of her daze and realizing what had just taken place Bay's face went beet red with both embarrassment and anger. The 'bot had got her! He'd actually got her! And good, too! Smoke almost rising out her ears and the veins in her neck and forehead popping out, Bay got to her feet and glowered up at the Cybertronian with fists on her hips. "That's _**not **_funny, Optimus!" she howled, his laughter only making her feel madder and more humiliated. The mech was too busy laughing to care. Baring her teeth in a growl, Bay hissed, "If it's a battle you want, then a battle you'll get. Let the madness begin!" With that, the teen stomped forward, punching out a ball of air at the control pad for the door. It slammed against the button to open the door.

"Whoa-oh!" Optimus tumbled over backwards as his support suddenly slipped out from behind him and he laid on the floor in surprise as Bay marched past him with a snicker.

Optimus: 1

Bay: 1

* * *

><p>Bay sat in Prime's passenger seat, scowling and muttering under her breath about her current situation. The teen had been craving some Buger Bot for lunch, but it was a long way away from the Autobot ship and she didn't have enough cab fare, so she'd decided to ask one of the 'bots for a ride. She'd been intent on asking Bumblebee since he was usually the one who would take her Sari to lunch, but he hadn't been available. Neither had Prowl, or Bulkhead, and Ratchet had just flat-out refused her, so that left the girl with an unfortunate last option: Optimus. That in mind Bay had seriously considered skipping lunch. However, her stomach had won out in the end and she'd asked the Prime for a ride, feigning light-headedness and weakness when he had first said no in order to force him to take her. She still wasn't happy about the situation. Then again neither was Optimus and it was always fun to make him unhappy so it evened out. Sort of.<p>

Sighing heavily, Bay sat back in the seat and slumped, this trip seeming to take a ridiculously long time. The fact that Prime refused to let her play the radio didn't help. It was too quiet. It was too boring! With another long-suffering sigh, Bay looked out the window, desperately looking for something to stimulate her numb brain. Her eyes lighted on the mirror, and she studied the cars behind them that she could see in it, The sixteen-year-old couldn't help but snort to herself. Three black cars were traveling behind them right in the row—what were the odds of that? All at once Bay was struck with a brilliant idea and she smirked to herself. This was going to be fun! "Holy crap!" Bay exclaimed bolting upright and getting a closer look at the mirror, fear in her eyes and on her face.

"What now?" Optimus groaned. What, had she forgot her money or something?

"No, no, no, no, no!" Bay murmured, shaking her head. "Not good. Not good!"

"What?" the Autobot repeated, starting to get a little bit worried now. Something really seemed to be wrong.

"Ya see those cars right behind us?" Bay questioned. "The black ones?"

Optimus checked his rearviews. "Yeah," he replied.

"They found me," Bay said, almost to herself. "Dang it!" She smacked the Prime's consol.

"What do you mean they found you?" Optimus all but demanded, really sounding worried as well as greatly confused now.

"Look, Optimus," the girl said seriously, looking at his radio with a grave expression, "I haven't been completely honest with you 'bots and Sari. There's something about my past that I haven't told you guys for your own protection, but I have to tell you now."

The Prime waited in dead silence for her to go on, an unsettling sensation twisting around in his tank.

"There's this secret agency," Bay began, "an agency that only a very few know of. They're extremely dangerous, and… well… they're after me."

"What in the name of Primus are you talking about?" Prime asked.

"They came to my parents when I was little, and told 'em they wanted to take me away with 'em. "We want to help her with her powers," they said. Well, they helped me with 'em all right, but they tried to turn me into a mindless weapon in the process. For years they held me captive, torturin' me, breakin' me, tryin' to brainwash me before I finally managed to escape and somehow make it back to my family. I thought I was safe. I thought we were all safe. But then they came for me. My family and I had to flee for our lives—we barely got out alive! We moved her to Detroit, thinkin' that we could blend in here and escape from them that way. It worked. Until today. They found me after all this time and that's them behind us right now!"

Had he been in robot mode, Optimus would have been cocking an optic-ridge. A secret agency? Trying to turn teenage girls into weapons? Hunting down and trying to kill her family when she escaped? This all sounded just a bit too fantastical to him and he didn't even know that much about Earth yet. "Are you pulling my stabilizing servo here, Bay?" he questioned.

"You honestly think I'd make somethin' this horrific up?!" Bay demanded, offended.

"If they tortured you, how come you don't have any scars?"

"My ability to manipulate water makes it possible for me to heal myself and people to the point there aren't any scars."

"What's the name of this agency?"

Bay shook her head. "I never learned it," she confessed. "They would never tell me. I'm not even sure if it has one."

"I don't know about all this, Bay."

"Oh, I forgot to mention, this agency is real interested in anythin' they deem as supernatural," Bay added with a scowl. "That includes _**aliens**_."

Optimus was quiet for a moment, that anxiousness returning. "What are you saying?" he finally dared to ask.

"I'm sayin' I can only imagine how thrilled they'd be to not only get their hands on me again, but also a giant, sentient robot from an alien planet. They'd crack you open and turn you into a lab-rat faster than you can say 'oil-slick'! Willin' question my sincerity now?"

"I'm definitely more opening to believing you now," Optimus gulped. "What do I do?"

"We gotta try to lose 'em somehow," Bay answered.

"How?"

"How fast can you drive?"

"In this light traffic with this incentive? I'm pretty sure I could put Bumblebee to shame."

"Well then go, Prime! Go! Step on the gas!"

Without a second thought, Optimus did just that, practically flooring his gas-pedal and squealing away down the street, weaving in and out of traffic. "You're going to have to keep an eye out for them, Bay," he stated, voice panicky. "I have to keep all my focus on the road."  
>"Shut up and drive, Prime! Faster, faster! They're still on our tail!"<p>

"Whatever you say!"

Finally the two of them came up on a traffic jam. There was no way around it and Optimus didn't dare transform to his robot mode for fear of risking revealing himself to the agency people. Not that it mattered. They'd probably already figured it out and before days end he'd be on some human medical table chopped apart and strewn out all over the place his energon splattering the floor and walls. He was snuffed already! "Oh, Primus!" he exclaimed, almost sobbing in horror. He'd never been so terrified in his entire life-cycle. "Oh dear, Primus, please no! I can't go offline, not like this! I don't want to be some human lab experiment! I…" the Prime stopped wailing when he looked into his rearview mirrors and saw no sign of the black cars anywhere behind him. "Hey," he said, sounding baffled, "where are the cars?"

Bay, who had been biting her lip to the point it was almost bleeding to keep herself from laughing, replied with much effort to suppress her building laughter, "Oh, we lost 'em a long, long time ago." She bit her lip again and put a hand over her mouth.

"Lost them? You mean they gave up on trying to capture us?"

"Um… no."

At first Optimus was even more confused as he tried to process this, and then suddenly it began to dawn on him. His bewilderment began to be replaced with anger. "Baaaaayyyy!"

Bay couldn't hold it back anymore. She burst out laughing. "Bahahahahahahahahaha! You-you-you… you shoulda heard youself!" she practically screamed, slapping a hand over her eyes. "'Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna…' ahhhhh-hahahahahahahaha!" She started drumming her feet on the floor and her fists on the seat. "Oh my gosh! That was priceless! Ow-oh, my sides!"

Hot with embarrassment, Optimus growled. How could he have been so stupid to believe her again?! Why did he keep falling for this stuff?! "Oh, yeah?!" he challenged, refusing to let her have the last word in this. "Well… well you laugh all you want to, Bay, because… because the joke's on you! I wasn't really scared, I was just playing along. Humoring you."

Bay snorted. "Yeah. Sure you were!"

Optimus groaned. Okay, yeah, she wasn't going to buy that at all and he couldn't blame her for that. It was a really bad lie. "Well, guess what, Bay?"

"What?"

"We bypassed Burger Bot a _**long**_ time ago, and you said they close up early today. By the time we get back there they'll be closed."

Bay stopped laughing and became dead quiet, processing this, her expression going from disbelief to horror to anger.

"Can you say "backfire"?"

Blushing, Bay growled. "Stuff it, 'fraidy cat."

Bay: 2

Optimus: 1

* * *

><p>Sari came out of the store, carrying in her hands a box of saran wrap and a roll of duct tape. Making her way across the parking lot, the child came up to a fire truck and its passenger door opened for her. She threw the items up inside and clambered up behind it, taking her place in the passenger seat. "Okay, Prime," she grunted, getting situated. "I got what you asked for."<p>

"Thank you, Sari," Optimus thanked the girl as he strapped her in and they began to pull out of the parking lot.

"I still don't know what you want this for," Sari confessed, raising an eyebrow.

"I was doing a little research on human pranking," Optimus explained, "and I found a video entry about a prank that involves saran wrap."

"And let me guess, you're gonna pull it on Bay, aren't you?"

"Of course."

"And you're going to be need more of my help, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't suspect Bay will come running when I'm the one yelling for her."

Sari sighed heavily and slumped in the seat. This prank war was going to be the death of them all.

"Ready, Optimus?" Sari inquired.

"I think so," Optimus replied, stepping away from taping up the saran wrap and stepping away with his hands on his hips and a satisfied smirk curling his lipplates.

"Ready for what?" Bulkhead questioned, coming up behind the two.

"To play a prank on Bay," Sari answered.

"You two are still at that prank war?" the big green mech asked in some disbelief, giving Optimus a look. To be honest, he was surprised the commander he'd come to know could be so immature.

"I'm not stopping if she doesn't," Optimus answered adamantly, giving the slightly younger mech a stern look. "She'll have to call the truce first."

Bulkhead was silent for a moment, thinking this over, before he finally said, "This thing is never gonna stop is it?"

"All right, Sari," Optimus said to the girl. "My work is done, now it's your turn."

Sighing, Sari walked under the plastic (it was well above her head) and started running down the hall. She found Bay talking with Bumblebee. Trying her best to look excited, the eight-year-old ran over to the teen and grabbed her arm, tugging at it urgently. "Bay!" she exclaimed between pants. "Oh, my gosh, Bay, you have to come! Quick!"

Looking worried Bay's nodded without question. "Okay. Okay, calm down and take me." Sari let go of her hand and started sprinting back down the hallway with Bay right on her tail and Bumblebee trotting behind.

They came to the end of the hallway and Sari ran into the room and Bay came after, running smack into the saran wrap. She was clotheslined by it! The teen fell with a heavy thud. Laying there in a daze for a minute the junior then slowly sat up and shook her head before looking around at the four figures, all of whom were currently laughing, a certain red and blue Autobot laughing a bit harder than the other two. For a second dhe wondered why, and then she realized: saran wrap! She growled. "Not funny, Prime!" she fumed.

Optimus was laughing too hard to respond.

"Um… no offense, Bay," Bumblebee chuckled, "but it kinda was!"

Scowling at the yellow and black 'bot, Bay got back up on her feet and stomped back down the hall. Deep down she had to admit it was a really good prank, and she probably would have laughed at it herself… if it weren't for the sheer fact that Optimus was the one who'd pulled it! "Dumb, stupid, metal jerk!" the teen hissed through clenched teeth. "You just watch your planet-wide backside, Optimus. You just watch it!"

Optimus: 2

Bay: 2

* * *

><p>"How many times do I have to say 'no', Bumblebee?" Optimus grumbled.<p>

"Oh, come on, Prime!" the young 'bot whined trotting along in front of the red and blue 'bot backwards as he pleaded. "Just a little one."

"No," Optimus answered firmly. "You're not getting any designs on your chassis, Bumblebee. Besides you're paintjob is fine the way it is."

"But it's so boring compared to other Earth car paintjobs, though," 'Bee complained. "What about ghost-flames."

"No."

"How about one tribal mark. Come on, you can't say 'no' to _**one tribal mark**_!"

"Yes, I can and I am. _**No**_." Optimus marched on past the small Autobot and continued on down the hall.

"Aww!" 'Bee hung his head in dejection and slumped his shoulders. It just wasn't fair! What was the point of having an Earth-based vehicular mode if you couldn't spice it up a little? "I still don't get what the big deal is," he confessed, looking after Optimus.

Prowl came up beside him and scowled down at him, arms crossed over her chestplate. "The "big deal", Bumblebee, is that we Autobots are supposed to _**blend in **_with the crowd to avoid detection. The more normal we look the better. An over-the-top paintjob would only cause unwanted attention."

"Prowl, buddy," 'Bee countered, "look, I know that, as a ninja, you're into the whole "see but not be seen" stuff, but if you want to be a cool 'bot like me—lesson number one: there is no such thing as 'unwanted attention'."

The black and gold mech's scowl deepened.

Bumblebee blinked at him then gave a look. "Ya know, I can't tell if you're really scowling at me or if it's just the way your visor is designed."

Prowl's lipplates pulled back to bare his denta and he brought a hand up before bringing it down across the back of Bumblebee's helm in a resounding smack, knocking the young 'bot down to the floor. "Bumblebee!"

"Ow!" 'Bee rubbed his head and looked innocently up at the ninja. "What? Ahh!" He lunged back up to his feet with a fearful cry and streaked off down the hall, a fuming Prowl right on his tailpipe. "Ahhh! Prime!"

Pausing, Optimus turned and looked back, only to have a yellow and black streak slam into him and climb up his chassis to hang onto the back of his shoulder plating. "What in the AllSpark?" He looked over his shoulder to see Bumblebee peeking up over his shoulder at Prowl who was now standing in front of them. "Bumblebee, what did you do now?"

"I didn't do anything!" 'Bee insisted. "Why do I always get the blame?"

"Because it's always your fault," Prowl remarked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Is not!" the young 'bot insisted. Then the thought better of it and looked down sheepishly as he added under his breath, "Sometimes."

"Hey, guys," a cheerful greeting caused the three mechs to look down and see Bay walking up to them. Jacket unzipped, the teen had her hands curled around the flaps as she smiled up at the 'bots. "What's goin' o… ahh-choo!" The girl was suddenly caught off by a large sneeze which promptly caused her head to fall off her shoulders and drop down to her middle. She screamed.

The 'bots themselves all screamed as well before freezing up without warning and falling to the floor with a large crash. They'd been so scared they'd glitched!

Laughing, Bay stood up straight again and straightened out her jacket as she walked over to the 'bots. "Three 'n one!" she cheered. "Record! You guys shoulda seen the looks on your faces! Priceless! Priceless! Ahh-hahahahahaha!" Wiping tears from her eyes, Bay looked up to see that the Autobots had not yet moved. In fact, they looked as stiff as ever. She blinked. "Guys?" They didn't move. Grin disappearing, Bay walked closer and looked at them hard. "Guys?" She passed a hand over Prowl's optics. "Yoo-hoo! Guys? Anyone home? Prowl? Bumblebee?" Still no responsive from any of them. Bay gasped and quickly backed away panicking. Oh, great she'd broken them! How the heck was it possible to break sentient beings?! Who knew, but apparently that's exactly what she had done right now—just leave it to her to do something like that! "Ratchet's gonna kill me!" Bay exclaimed, looking around frantically. "Ratchet is gonna skin me alive!" There was only one thing left to do: hide! Breaking into a dead run, Bay ran off down the hall only to quickly turn around and streak off the other way when she saw the medic himself coming around the corner.

When he saw the three glitched mechs, Ratchet froze in his tracks, staring at them in disbelief and confusion until the answer finally came to him. This had to be one of Bay's pranks! Growling, the medic looked down the hall where he'd seen Bay run off and shouted after her, "**BAAAYFIIIRRRE**!"

Bay: 3?

Optimus: 2?

* * *

><p>Grumbling and cursing under her breath, Bay dunked the mop in the bucket of soapy water once again and then slapping it down on the floor to start mopping again. As punishment for causing not one but three of the 'bots to glitch, Ratchet had assigned her the task of cleaning one of the storage rooms of the ship from top to bottom. It probably wouldn't have been such a bag gig if it weren't for the fact that the storage room she had to clean was the one where they kept their barrels of oil and energon cubes. Needless to say, it was a mess! There was no way all of these stains were coming up, and if Ratchet thought otherwise he could be in here on his hands and knees with a Cybertronian sized toothbrush cleaning the place up. Wait, did Cybertronian's have toothbrushes? They didn't necessarily have teeth, so probably not.<p>

All at once the door opened and Optimus came sauntering into the room. He walked past the scowling girl, not giving her any notice whatsoever and headed over towards the stock of oil barrels. Selecting one he turned around and began to walk back out of the room, all the while going well out of his way to step in a half-dried puddle of oil that Bay hadn't gotten to yet. The mech then began to circle the room, leaving oily footprints in his wake. He paid particular attention to the spots Bay had already cleaned. "You missed a few spots," he stated, when he wasn't leaving any more tracks. Prime started to leave the room.

Bay stared in sheer horror at the tracks. Her floor! Her nice clean floor! He'd gone and marked up her nice clean floor on purpose! The teen's face when red. It look like she was about ready to literally burst into flames. Throwing the mod down, the girl pulled the water up out of the bucket and whipped it out and over to smack the Prime right across his skid-plate. "Hrah!"

"Yai!" Optimus jumped and whipped around, oil sloshing out of his barrel as he did so. He rubbed his skid-plate. "What was that for?!"

"Oh, please, like you can't guess what!" Bay snapped back accusingly.

"Hey! Don't blame me!" Optimus fumed, pointing rigidly. "This all started when you set me up with that holoform"  
>"Oh, come on!" Bay exclaimed. "That was a joke!"<p>

"Well, I didn't find it very funny."

"Well, then, you just got a really bad sense of humor."

"Oh, and you don't? You're the one that got all angry and uppity every time I tried to get you back."

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"What's all the commotion in here?!" Ratchet's voice suddenly cut in, causing both mech and girl to look over at him. "Bay, I thought I told to clean up in here."

"Ratchet, Optimus came in here and marked up the floor on purpose!" Bay complained, pointing a finger at the 'bot in question and trying to look and sound pitful.

"It's nothing more than she deserves!" Optimus countered. "Ratchet, you know how she's been pushing me ever since the holoform fiasco!"

"Have not!"

"Have too!"

"Enough!" Ratchet bellowed. "I've had enough!" Silence fell over the room for a moment and the medic buried his face in a hand, and muttered under his breath in Cybertronians. First young 'bots, then humans (particularly young humans), and now young 'bots and humans together fighting. As if things weren't already bad enough, being stuck on a planet with fleshy bone-bags that you had to watch out for. "Now it's obvious the two of you don't get along, and probably wouldn't get along at any point in the future. I understand that. But I can't take this constant fightin' every day! My audio-receptors need a break! Keep yellin' at each other like that and makin' each other miserable and I'll make the both of ya clean this entire ship from top to bottom!"

"Ratchet," Optimus gasped incredulously, looking fearful, "you wouldn't…."

"Try me, Prime," the old mech growled. "Just try me."

"Well, I'll stop fightin' in Prime apologizes for messin' up my floor," Bay stated, snippily, giving the red and blue 'bot a look.

"Well, I'm not apologizing until you apologize for everything you've done to me," Optimus declared, giving her a hard look.

"You did way worse things to me!" Bay screeched.

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"The friggin' saran wrap thing! I coulda cracked my head open on the floor! Everything I did to prank you was harmless."

"Oh, so causing not only me, but also Bumblebee and Prowl, to glitch was harmless?"

"Hey, that was purely an accident! I didn't mean to scare you guys that bad."

"That's not the point, the point is that you did it without any thought beforehand about what could have happened."

"Who thinks ahead about a prank?!"

"Evidently not you!"

"That's it!" Ratchet fumed. "That's it, I've had it! Botha you, shut up and clean! I don't wanna hear anther peep come out of this room for the rest of the day. And when I come back at the end of the day, it had better be spotless."

Both Bay and Optimus looked at him in dismay. "But, Ratchet…" they both whined.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Ratchet declared, waving his hands in the air. He turned around and started leave. "Get to cleaning. _**Now**_." With that, he left them.

The human and the Cybertronian stared after him for a moment, still trying to process what he had told them, before they looked at each other in bewilderment. Ratchet wanted them to clean up this room and have it spotless by the end of the day _**together**_? What was he, nuts? "If you think for one second," Optimus hissed after a moment with a glare, "that I'm going to help you clean up this room…"

"_**CLEAN!**_" Ratchet's bellow came back down the hall to them.

Optimus shut up and both he and Bay turned away and began cleaning. They had a lot to do if Ratchet wanted to see this place spotless by the end of the day. And a long, long day it was going to be.

Optimus: 3

Bay: 3

Winner: Ratchet


	13. Like the World's Against You

**Yay! Finally we get back to this. Admittedly I was intending for it to be longer, but the next part of this was so cute and sweet I decided to give it a whole other chapter of its own, so here this one is.**

**Shadescribe—Thank you! I had so much fun writing it. XD**

**Alice Gone Madd—Definitely my favorite prank to write, if only because she got 'Bee and Prowl too! XD**

**mchap1154—Ratchet is the greatest! And it's **_**definitely **_**going to be interesting to write when it finally gets to that point. ;)**

**pokemonjkl—I understand completely. Hope you had great holidays and thanks for stopping by and dropping a review. :)**

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>"I couldn't tell you… why she felt that way—she felt it every day. And I couldn't help her. I just watched her make… the same mistakes again. What's wrong—what's wrong now? Too many—to many problems. Don't where she belongs… where she belongs…" Avril Lavigne; <em>Nobody's Home<em>

11

Like the World's Against You

"MARSHALL! You little rat!"

The Calecto house was most certainly alive this morning, and most of that activity was centered in a certain sixteen-year-old's room as she chased her ten-year-old brother around the room in an angry tizzy, desperately trying to take the journal he was holding onto back. So far she hadn't been successful.

"Marshall!" Bay screamed. "I swear if ya don't drop that in three seconds and get outta my room you're gonna be a skin rug!" She cursed to herself. What had she been thinking hiding her journal in her underwear drawer? Marshall didn't seemhave a problem rummaging through her unmentionables to get what he wanted—the little pervert. As it was the boy was currently _**wearing**_ one of her bras, so clearly he didn't have any hang ups about coming into contact with her underwear at all!

"Dear Diary," Marshall read from the journal as he darted around the room, doing his best to mimic his sister's voice, "if I haven't made it clear in the past, I'll say it again. I really, really, really, really hate it here in Detroit. I am alone here. This is gonna sound totally cliché here but I mean it when I say that nobody understands me. I guess that's no different than anywhere else, considerin' nobody else has ever been able to do what I can, but at least I felt accepted. It was okay to be who I am. Here everybody thinks I'm a freak! And lately I've been startin' to think that maybe they're right. Maybe I really am a freak, and maybe I should try to be normal—like everyone else. But the thing is when I try to be that… I don't feel like me. I don't like it. It's not my normal. I want my normal. I don't want to feel broken anymore. I want to get whatever part of me is missin' back." The young boy suddenly cracked up. "Wow!" he laughed. "That's so dark, Bay! What are you, emo now?"

"Not funny, Marsh!" Bay spat. "Drop my diary now! Whoa-oof!" The junior tripped over her desk chair as Marshall pulled it over and crashed to the floor. Groaning, the girl shook her head and looked up to see her brother jumping up and down on her bed, pointing and laughing at her. Bay growled. Punching a fist out she sent a gust of air at the boy, knocking his feet out from under him.

"Ah!" Marshall fell forward and cracked his chin on the end board of her bed. "Oooowww!" Sitting up and grabbing at his chin, the ten-year-old sat up and threw his head back in a blood-curdling, stuck-pig squeal, tears streaming down his face. "Mooooommyyyy!"

Bay covered her ears and grimaced. She already had a headache and Marhsall bawling just made it worse. "Marshall, shut up! Please!"

But he didn't shut up. The boy kept howling bloody-murder and holding his chin until finally their mother rushed through the door.

"What's going on in here?" Amanda demanded, giving both kids a hard look.

Scooting off the bed, Marshall went running to their mother, stomping his feet on the floor. "Mommy!" he wailed pitifully. "I was just teasing Bay…" he broke off to take sporadic gasps of air, "…and she used her wind power to knock me down and make me hit my chin on the end board on purpose…" he panted again, "… and now my chin his broken!" He started crying again, trying to make his wails sound even more pathetic than before.

Amanda's concerned gaze quickly turned into a glare and was fired in Bay's direction. "Bay!" she gasped reprovingly.

"What?!" the sixteen-year-old demanded incredulously. "He's lyin'! Yeah, I knocked his feet out from under him but I didn't mean for him to fall and whack his chin. That was an accident!"

"Is that what you call it when you use your powers on a completely harmless and defenseless little boy?" Amanda challenged.

Bay rolled her eyes and groaned long-sufferingly. "Oh, my gosh, Mom, you can't be serious!" she retorted. "Give me a break!"  
>"What were you even doing using your powers in the first place?" Amanda questioned as she knelt down to console her son and inspect his wound. "You know you're not supposed to."<p>

"Why?" Bay demanded, putting her hands on her hips defiantly. It was about the millionth time she'd asked that question since they'd moved to Detroit. Why couldn't she use her powers? She could almost understand why she couldn't use them as school—that made enough sense—but why couldn't she use them here at home or on the streets to help people? What was so bad about them?

"You know why, Bay," Amanda replied offhandedly.

"No," Bay answered adamantly. "I don't know why I can't, but I want to. Why? Why can't a use 'em, Mom? Enlighten me—explain to me why. Or do ya even know why I can't?" Her voice was insistent, forceful. She wanted an answer—the answer that had eluded her for over a year.

Forgetting trying to make her son let go of his chin for the moment, Amanda sighed tediously and stood back up. She turned to face her waiting daughter. "Bay, you can't use your powers because it's not what normal girls do."

And there is was: The same old answer that she'd been given for the past year every time she asked. Whether that was really the reason or not it wasn't good enough—not for Bay. The teenager shook her black-haired head. "No," she stated adamantly. "No, that's not the real reason ya won't let me use my abilities and I know it! Ya know what I think, Mom? I think ya don't wanna tell me the real reason why you don't let me use 'em."

"Don't be absurd!"

"It's because ya don't want people to know you got a freak for a daughter, isn't it?" Bay's tone was harsh, bitter, and accusatory.

"Of course not," Amanda let go the claim. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Oh, I think it does," Bay insisted, voice growling. "What other explanation is there?"

"I already told you!" Amanda reminded her.

"I'm not normal, Mom!" Bay shouted back. "I never have been normal and I never will be normal, Mom! You know that! You've always known that! You just don't want anyone to know ya have a freak for and daughter that's it."

"Bayfire Elektra Calecto!"

"You're ashamed of me, Mom! Just admit it!"

"I will admit no such thing! Besides, if I were to be ashamed of you for something it would be the behavior you're currently displaying and not your abilities."

"At least I ain't the one lyin' through her teeth."

"Mommy!" Marshall wailed, yanking on his mother's shirtsleeve as he didn't want to be forgotten.

"Oh, Honey, I'm sorry," Amanda crooned sweetly, smoothing a hand over his chestnut hair. "Go to the bathroom and get a cold, wet wash cloth to put on that. I'll take you to the hospital."

"Okay," Marshall sniffled and left the room, still sobbing.

"Ya know, I could save ya the gas and heal 'im up myself," Bay offered.

"Don't even think about it," Amanda dismissed it.

"See? Right there! Ya won't even let me heal my little brother even though ya know I can. What other explanation can there before other than you're ashamed of my abilities and think I'm a freak?"

"Bay, it isn't as simple as that."

"Yes, it is, Mom. It's _**exactly**_ as simple as that." Crossing her arms and turning away to hide her burning face, the infuriated teenager shook her head and bit her lip to try and keep the angry tears from falling. This was the first big fight she and her mom had had for a while. She didn't like it. Bay didn't like fighting with her mother, but what else could she do? No matter how she said it her mom just couldn't get the fact that Bay was different than everyone else and liked being that way through her head! How many times were they going to have to keep beating this dead horse? "I wish Dad were here and not on the business trip from Professor Sumdac," the girl murmured.

"If your father was here," Amanda responded, "he wouldn't be any more impressed with your attitude than I am."

"At least he'd be on my side!" Bay hissed, whirling around on her mother.

"I _**am**_ on your side, Bayfire," Amanda sighed drearily.

Bay shook her head, denial written all over her face. "No. You're not on my side, Mom. You're clearly not on my side."

Amanda truly, sincerely looked hurt by that. "Bay…" she choked out, reaching for the girl.

"I gotta get to school," Bay changed the subject, turning away from her mother's touch. Going over to her bed, she picked up her bags laying at the foot of it and grabbed her diary off the bedspread before shoving it into her backpack. Until she could find a good, safe place where Marshall wouldn't be able to find and get to it, her diary would be staying with her. Lugging her packs over her shoulders, the sixteen-year-old left the room, eyes glued on the floor. "Later, Mom," she grumble frigidly.

"I love you," Amanda called after her.

"Yeah, whatever," came the reply. Stomping down the stairs, Bay stormed towards the front door and slammed it behind her. Never had she been so happy to go to school.

* * *

><p>Opening her locker, Bay began to unload her book bag of all the books and binders she wouldn't need for a while and replace them with what she needed for the first half of the school day. She'd finally cooled down some from the fight with her mother, but not enough to say she was over it. And now she was at school. While that was far better than being at home today it still wasn't great and it probably wasn't going to get any better as the day went on. It never did.<p>

"Hey, Bay," I sickeningly happy and cheerful voice chirped followed by a chorus of giggles.

Face hidden behind her locker door, Bay rolled her eyes and groaned. "Oh no," she whispered. Not now! Please, why now? Sighing heavily and trying to force herself into an amicable state of mind, the green-eyed girl came out from behind her locker door and looked in the direction of the voice. "Hey, Christina," she greeted the girl with as best a smile as she could muster. It wasn't very good. And her voice completely contradicted it. "What's up?"

"I had a party last night," the popular girl answered, arms crossed over her chest. Following in her shoes like they always did, the rest of the posse did the same.

"Oh," Bay's voice was lacking enthusiasm of any kind as she responded to that statement, "cool."

"It was cool!" Wynonna piped up excitedly. "Like majorly cool!"

"Like majorly, majorly cool," Allison further described.

"Oh-kay…" Bay drawled raising and eyebrow and looking away for a moment before settling her gaze on the girls again. All right this was just creepy. Christina and her girls had been here for more than a minute and they hadn't belittled her in some way yet. What the heck was going on here.

"Yeah, we were all, like, totally let down you missed it," Gigi suddenly announced. "It was, like, a totally rager! Like, everybody from school was there."

"Like, the fact that you weren't is, like, totally tragic," Lily said, putting a hand over her heart as though it were breaking. The other girls did the same thing.

Okay. Bay was even more weirded out now. What was this place—the Twilight Zone? Did she wake up in alternate dimension or something? "Uh…" Bay stood there with her mouth half hanging open and her face riddled with utter bafflement.

"Why weren't you at the party last night, Bay?" Sapphire questioned, a certain leading innocence in her voice.

"Maybe because I wasn't invited," the black-haired, green-eyed teen answered with some inflection in her voice. They were going somewhere with this, and Bay had a pretty good idea of where, but she couldn't be positive yet.

"You weren't invited?" Christina questioned, looking and sounding like she was in complete shock by this revelation.

"Um, no," Bay responded.

With that Christina's face completely changed to an innocent and happy look as she laughed. "Oh, yeah," she giggled as if she suddenly remembered. Her face once again changed to a sneer of complete haughty superiority and plain nastiness as she looked down her nose at the girl and declared, "I only invited the important people to my party."

Okay. There it was—that's where they were going. Now things were back to the way they should be. Still, even though Bay usually took what these girls said in one ear and let it go out the other, with her emotions still raw from what had happened at home this morning, Christina's comment was like a hard smack in the face. She wasn't important to invite to a party, yet she was important enough to hunt up in the hallway at school and have it shoved in her face? Humane. Real humane. Bay bit her lip as a slight, cynical smile curved her mouth. She looked away for a moment, shaking her head, still unable to believe just how harsh this group of girls could be even after a year. "Wow," she laughed drily as she looked back at the girls. "Ya know what, Christina, I had a fight with my mom this morning and I was feelin' pretty down and out about it, but you, single-handedly, just made that whole thing seem like a regular cake-walk. Thank you, oh-so much!" Grabbing a binder and book out of her locker, Bay slammed the door to it and reached down to swing her bag up onto her shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna be late for my science class." Turning away, she began to walk as fast as she could down the hall. As she left something slipped out of her still open backpack and fell to the hall floor in her wake. Too wrapped up in her thoughts and desire to get away from the "It" clique, Bay didn't notice. She'd regret it later. Deeply.

All eyes suddenly went to the book on the floor with intrigue. Walking forward, Christina picked it up, opened it, and started to read. She gasped in disbelief. "No freaking way!" she exclaimed, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile.

"What is it, Christi?" Gigi asked as she and the rest of the girls came forward. They gathered around their leader and gazed over her shoulders.

"Our ticket to destroying that freak Bay once and for all," Christina answered, grinning sadistically as she read through the journal. She looked over her shoulder and met the eyes of her friends. "Girls, to the copy room. We've got work to do."

* * *

><p>"Finally over!" Bay quietly exclaimed as the bell to end third period rang out. Her shoulders slumped in relief as did most of the other students' before she scooped up her literature books and binders, hauled her bag up over her shoulder once more, and stood to leave the room. Three classes down, five to go. She could hardly wait! Her spirits were already lifting at the thought of school getting out for the day and she was already beginning to plan what do to. If she didn't have homework she'd probably meet up with Sari and they'd go and visit the 'bots as usual. Or maybe she'd just stay home and binge on Netflix. Upon exiting the room and entering the hallway the teen's planning came to a screeching halt. Her pleasant mood soon followed.<p>

The tile floor of the hallway was littered with sheets of paper, as if someone had taken hold of a stack of paper and ran back and forth down the hall with it, letting the papers fly hither and thither. Some sheets had been taped up on the lockers and walls. Everybody was stopping to pick them up or pulling them off to inspect them, murmuring softly to each other as they did.

Raising an eyebrow, Bay knelt down to pick up and sheet and turned it over to read it. Her heart stopped as she read the first two words on the page: "Dear Diary". Still holding the paper, the girl knelt down again and picked up another paper and another and another and another. "Dear Diary", "Dear Diary," "Dear Diary". "What the hell?!" Bay barked angrily, her face flushing red in both anger and embarrassment. They were all entries from her diary! Someone had copied her diary and littered it all over the school for everyone to see! But how was that even possible? Her diary was exactly where she'd put it this morning—safe inside her backpack! Slipping her bag down her arm, the sixteen-year-old plunged a hand down through the already unzipped opening and dug around inside it. Her blood froze in her horror. She couldn't feel her journal! "No, no, no, no, no!" Dropping the books in her arm, Bay ripped her bag off her arm and tore it open, frantically digging through the contents of it to try and find her diary but it wasn't there! But it had to be there! Where else could it possibly be if it wasn't in her bag?! "This can't be happening," Bay whispered to herself, jade green eyes wide in terror. "Please don't let this be happening!" She kept digging, hoping beyond hope that she was just not seeing things clearly in her panic and that her diary really was safely tucked between the contents of her bag. The teen would have torn her bag apart had it not been for the sound of evil cackling and snickering that reached her ears.

Bay's frenzied actions came to a screeching halt. Recognizing the laughter, the girl's panic melted away into a cold numbness that quickly morphed into a new, colder horror than what she had previously felt, before heating up and settling into a furious anger. Almost as if she were in slow motion, the teen raised her head and looked down the hall. Her jade eyes locked onto Christina and her crew like a death ray. A growl rumbled in her chest. Those brats!

"Like, hey, Bay," Christina greeted her with a mocking smirk as her girls giggled madly. "Looking for something? Maybe, like, this?" She brought a hand out from behind her back and held up a dark purple, stitch bound journal with a buckle clasp.

Bay's gaze immediately fell on the book as her eyes widened. Her diary! Eyes narrowing again and brows furrowing, her attention turned back and centered on the "It" clique. She threw down her bag and stomped in their direction, black ponytail swaying wildly with the force of her steps. "Where did you get that?!" the junior demanded, pointing jaggedly as Christina.

"What?" the older girl asked innocently. "You mean this?" She opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Oh, we just found it, like, lying on the floor of the hall."

"Well, it's mine!" Bay snapped. "Now give it back!"

The girls looked up at Bay and gasped as though they were all in shock, putting a hand on their chests. "Yours?" Christina asked. "We had no idea!"

"Liars!" Bay accused. "You knew it was mine! Why else would'ja have gone to so much trouble to print so many copies of it?"

Scoffing and perching her fists on her hips, Christina replied, "Well, like, hey, girl. If you're gonna let something fall out of your bag and not pick it up, it's free dibs if your name's not on it."

"Well, like, hey, girl," Bay shot back mockingly. "If ya knew it fell out of _**my **_backpack in the first place that mean ya _**knew exactly **_who it belonged to and shoulda given it back right away instead of holdin' onto it and invadin' my privacy! By the way, Christina, it's not like my name on it woulda stopped ya from doin' anything different. You're not classy enough for that!"

A collective gasp went up from not only Christina's entourage but from everyone else in the hallway as well. Oh, no she didn't! There was no way Bay had just said that!

Glaring at the black-haired, green-eyed girl, Christina looked like she was trying hard to keep herself under control. You could see the muscles in her jaw tensing and relaxing as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. If looks could kill, Bay would have dropped dead on the spot. "Well," she sniped after a long moment, "at least I have _**some**_ class, unlike you!" A sinister smile curled the girl's lips again and she began to open the journal again. "Or do I need to read the entry about the, like, totally steamy dream you had of Jacob Gregor to remind you just how totally unclassy you are?"

Bay's eyes widened in sheer mortification. Jacob Gregor was a senior and the one guy she'd ever had eyes for since moving to Detroit. Not only was he good looking but he'd also been nice to her on more than one occasion—not nice enough to give Bay any ideas of them becoming actual friends letting alone boyfriend and girlfriend, but definitely nice and amicable. If he found out about her feelings for him that'd be the end of it! He'd write her off as a hopeless weirdo just like everyone else and then what was she supposed to do?

"Oh, don't worry," Christina assured her. "Like, I didn't copy that entry. Jacob doesn't need, like, any mental scarring."

Furious, Bay lunged, grabbing for her diary. "Give it to me!"

Christina lifted the journal high in the air. Already a bit taller than the green-eyed girl, the added height of her chunky heels just made it all the easier to keep it just out of Bay's reach. "Ah, ah, ah," she teasingly scolded Bay with a patronizing smile and a wave of her finger. "You didn't say 'please'."

Face as red as her jacket, Bay snarled at the girl. "It's _**my**_ diary," she seethed through clenched teeth. "I don't _**have**_ to!" She jumped up and snagged a hold on her diary, ripping it out of Christina's perfectly manicured-nailed hands. Once she had the precious thing in hand she clutched it close to her, guarding it, mentally chewing herself out for not doing that in the first place. She was paying dearly for her stupidity now. "Christina," she hissed in a very measure voice, "just answer me one thing. What the hell have I ever done to you?"

Christina snarled back as she glared down her pretty little nose at Bay. "You cane to my school," she hissed back. "Just came walking right in, acting like maybe you could actually belong here. But there's one thing you didn't think about: This is _**my **_school—I rule it. And nobody belongs unless I say they do, and you don't." She leaned down a bit and got face to face with the younger junior, matching glares with her. "You're a freak, Calecto," she murmured acidly. "That's all you are and that's all you're ever gonna be. Nobody likes you and we don't want you. Why don't you just do us all a favor and go jump off a building? We'd actually like you for something if you did."

Bay bit her lip, forcing herself to keep her angry mask on to hide the utter pain she felt underneath but it wasn't easy, especially with tears threatening her, biting at her eyes. That stung. It really did. Having Christina and her friends jack all her stuff from the locker room and throwing it into the school dumpsters, welding her locker door shut (she still wasn't sure how they'd pulled that one off) and writing on it, even taking and making hundreds of copies of her diary and spreading them around the school was one thing. She could deal with that. But to tell her right to her face to go and kill herself? That made everything else Christina had done and said to her look like mere child's play. She wasn't going to take that! Pressing her lips into a firm line, Bay raised her hand, drew it back, and was about to swing it forward when Christina stopped her again.

"You hit me and I will make sure the principal expels you from this school faster than you can say "kicked out"," Christina threatened. Bay didn't put her arm down. Looking away, Christina raised her head and called out, "Principal Jones!"

Slowly, grudgingly Bay lowered her hand. She couldn't afford to get kicked out of school; her mother would kill her, and she really wasn't in any kind of emotional state to be dealing with that today. Defeated and still clutching her diary, the sixteen-year-old turned away and began to walk down the hall. She had to get out of this school. She didn't care if it wasn't even lunch time yet—she had to get out and get away from this people!

"Yeah, that's right you walk away!" Christina called after her, her friends laughing. "This is my school, Freak! _**My**_ school! We don't want you here! Like, _**nobody**_ wants you here!"

Retreating down the hall, Bay had never felt so weak and pathetic in her entire life. Christina's words and the laughter that followed after her were like strikes from a bullwhip on her soul making it harder and harder to fight the tears still welling up in her eyes. The looks she received from people as she rushed down the hall didn't help. Neither did their whispers and snickers. The girl lowered her head just enough to hide her eyes behind her bangs as the first of the tears crept down her cheek. She had never felt so low. Or so alone.


	14. Just let Me Know it's Okay

**As promised the next chapter! Took a little bit longer than expected to get it up because I've been busy with other things recently. I wasn't able to work on it at all yesterday because we were busy with cows and moving snow around. Yeah, that's right. We got 15 inches of it! I know that doesn't seem like a lot compared to where some of you live, but trust me, when you live on a farm and that snow comes in a blizzard that leaves six foot drifts all over your place and you have to drive around on four wheelers to feed stuff, yeah, it's not nice! Weather like this makes me wish I was an Elf because then I'd be able to walk on top of the snow. Friggin' Legolas!**

**But so anyway, here it is, and I hope it makes everybody feel better. And can I just say, Optimus turns into a total sweet-spark in this? I love it! And not just because I wrote it either.**

**WolfAssassin369—I know. I hated it too. I made myself pissed when I wrote it.**

**Alice Gone Madd—I wish you could, but you can't. Fanzone would come for you.**

**Shadescribe—I think you'll see she gets better sooner than later. Don't worry. ;)**

**pokemonjkl—I hate Christina too, trust me. I hate more than any other bully I've written.**

**XxWolfMan95xX—You could be right.**

**AllSpark Princess—Here ya go!**

**katmar1994—I'm glad you like it!**

**Mimzy94—She'll have friends. Don't worry. :) **

**Xephos of Space—Glad you're enjoying it. :)**

**KittyKatt25—Unfortnately she won't be killed off, but she will get a comeuppance. ;)**

**RedLightning 350—I know. :'( **

**I unfortunately do not own Transformers Animated. I only own my OC and any other characters you may not recognize.**

* * *

><p>"Oh, I know the feelin'… of findin' yourself stuck out on the ledge. And there ain't no healin'… from cuttin' yourself with the jagged edge. I'm tellin' you that it's never that bad—take it from someone who's been where you're at. You're laid out on the floor, and you're not sure you can take this anymore…" Nickelback; <em>Lullaby<em>

12

Just let Me Know it's Okay

Optimus found himself in a predicament—the same one he'd found himself in ever since the day he changed his holoform: trying to decide how best to interact with the people of Detroit without being mobbed. He and his team had become the definition of local legends since they'd saved the city from the nano-bot monster, and while some of them enjoyed the spotlight and glory—namely Bumblebee—others didn't. Prime was one of them. These organics intrigued him; he wanted to learn more about them: their way of life, how they interacted with each other, what they did and why they did it. It sounded like an easy thing to do, but for him it wasn't. He wanted to see organics in a fairly casual setting—that seemed to be when they were most normal—but he could never interact with them in that type of setting. A) He was a giant alien robot: If he walked among them in his true form, not only would he be too high above them to truly interact with them on a personal level, he'd also be mobbed by the press and the numerous fans his team had collected. B) If he used his holoform, the same thing would happen. Thanks to Bay and her not-so-funny prank had set him up to be mobbed by Chris Hemsworth fans whenever he walked about and tried to interact with people in holoform. That was even worse than being mobbed in her Cybertronian form! If there was one thing Optimus had learned from those experiences, it was that organics could be just plain insane.

Of course there was always the option of rescanning another form for his holoform to take shape as, but to be honest the Prime didn't really want to. For one, it wasn't has easy and one would expect. A holoform was essentially a third form he could transform into and it took a lot of work, time, and energy to rescan and change it. For another, he rather liked his holoform. He'd never admit it to anyone, much less Bay, but he did like the way his holoform looked. So he had one little vanity—was that so wrong?

Still, it didn't make it easy for him to learn about humans. Even as he sat there on the curb of the park and watched the people as they walked by and interact in the park he still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to be there with them, get to meet them, maybe make friends. If he was going to be living on this planet he would have liked to get to know the locals who he was going to be living alongside. But so far that didn't look like it would be happening anytime soon if at all. Thanks to Bay!

The Prime was still quietly muttering and grumbling to himself about the annoying organic when a city bus pulled up at the stop on the corner and someone stepped out onto the curb. Optimus did a double take. Well, well, well, speak of the devil! The Autobot remained hidden as Bay walked down the sidewalk towards the park entrance, hugging herself and head hanging as she kept her gaze on the ground. For some reason it was too much for the Prime. Here he was, longing to go into the park and interact with people on a normal, honest level and couldn't because of what this girl had done and now she was here, heading into the park, able to interact with people like he wanted to just because she could not because she wanted to. It made the 'bot sick with rage. Unable to help himself, Optimus switched on his holoform, threw open the passenger side door of his alternate mode, and stepped out into the sunlight. "Hey!" he bellowed angrily, setting his sights on Bay as he pointed rigidly at her. "You!" Optimus slammed the door and came storming in her direction. "Bay!"

Looking up at the shout of her name, Bay's eyes immediately fell on Optimus' oncoming holoform and quickly looked away and rolled her eyes skyward as he stomach sank. "Oh, no!" she quietly wailed. Optimus was angry and he was coming at her and it was the last thing she needed right now! Her mom was going to be p.o-ed that she skipped school and the administration wasn't going to be all that happy about it either and now she has a ticked Autobot that she didn't get along with at all coming at her and she was still hurt and humiliated from what had happened at school and…. This was just the last thing she needed! "I'm not in the mood, Prime," she stated, looking back in his direction as she tried to ward him off.

"You're not, huh?" Optimus hissed venomously as he came up to her. "Well, you just better get in the mood, brat, because I've got more than a few things to say to you!"

"It's friggin' rude to point," Bay meekly snapped, shoving his jagged finger out of her chest.

"You would know, huh?" Optimus shot back. "You're about as rude and crude as it gets Bay!"

Normally Bay would have become defensive and angry and spat right back in the 'bot's face, but at the moment she didn't have it in her to do it. She just wanted to get away from him—from everyone—and find a quiet, solitary place to be by herself and cry. That's all she wanted. "Optimus, seriously," she said, voice cracking slightly, "I'm not in the mood for this, okay? You can yell at me some other time. I'll gladly stand there and argue with ya then, but just not now, all right?" She turned to continue on her way when suddenly a crushing, borderline painful grip seized her wrist and jerked her back around. "Hey!"

"No!" Optimus thundered. "We're doing this _**now**_!"

With that Bay grew angry, the pain of his grip on her wrist being exactly the thing she needed to get that way. "Don't touch me!" she roared, wrenching her hand from his. "I don't need this right now, Prime! I don't need it and I don't need you! So get your grimy, oily, rusty paws offa me and leave me the hell alone!"

"And what are you going to do if I don't?"

"Keep pushin' me and find out, crankshaft!"

"What did you just call me?!"

"You heard me!"

"You little glitch!"

"Takes one to know one, buddy! Now how 'bout ya do me a favor and take your head and stick where the sun don't shine, Superman? And seriously, what the heck is with the shirt?!" She motioned to the emblem on his chest.

Optimus looked down at his holoform's attire and then back up at the girl. "What's wrong with it?" he demanded.

"A) You're not Superman," Bay answered crossing her arms over her chest. "B) You definitely ain't Superman because he's an actual hero and you're not. So wearing his symbol is false advertisement!"

Optimus snarled. Hands balling into fists, he stepped towards the girl again and got right in her face. "Why you little…"

"Oh my god!" The sudden exclamation caused both warring parties to turn and look over to see a group of people standing there staring at them in pure amazement. "Is that Chris Hemsworth?!"

"Oh, slag," both Cybertronian and organic muttered at the same time. When the people started screaming and stampeding towards them the duo quickly turned tail and sprinted for the park.

"Run for it!" Bay screeched.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" Optimus yelped back.

The chase went on around the park, the girl and Autobot gaining people in their wake rather than losing them. These Chris Hemsworth fans just didn't quit! For fifteen minutes this kept up before Optimus finally turned to Bay again. "Any ideas?" he puffed.

Panting right along with him, Bay quickly glanced over her shoulder to see just how far the herd behind them was. Good. They were far enough behind she just might be able to make this work. Maybe. It was a gamble, but one they were going to have to take. "Yeah I got one," she answered looking back at Prime. Then the girl looked ahead and pointed to the pond they were coming up on. "We get around the corner and behind the reeds there we can lose 'em."

Optimus nodded and kept running. When they finally rounded the curve in the sidewalk and behind the reeds, they both stopped, panting hard. "So now what?" the Prime questioned, looking back towards the corner anxiously as the sound of the screaming came closer.

Bay couldn't help but smirk devilishly as she replied, "This." Without warning she shoved the unsuspecting holoform backwards.

"Whoa-oh! Oof!" Optimus stumbled backwards and fell into the pond with a mighty splash.

"Now get in those reeds and stay down, Prime," Bay ordered. She turned away. "I'll handle this." The girl waited as the stampede of fans came barreling around the corner and then she pointed on down the sidewalk. "That way!" she bellowed. "He went that way! He was headed to his limo, ya better hurry if you wanna catch him!" She stepped further back out of the way and watched on as they as hurried by her, their speed picking up. Evidently they were really desperate to catch Chris before he got in his limo and took off. When they were out of sight, Bay turned towards the pond where Optimus was still hiding in the reeds, grinning at herself. She couldn't believe that actually worked! Parting the reeds she looked down to see the holoform sitting there in the water, soaked, hair out of place, mud- and pond scum-splattered on him, a lily-pad sitting on his head like an odd hat and a not-too-pleased scowl on his face. The teen snorted, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she tried to hold in a laugh. "That's, um…" she began, her voice cracking ever so slightly as she tried to keep from laughing, "… that's a good look for you, Prime." She turned away and covered her mouth with a hand, giggling ever so slightly.

"Ha, ha," Optimus replied sarcastically. "You're hilarious. Is it safe to come out yet?"

Still fighting her giggles and a stupid grin on her face, Bay looked back at him and nodded. "Yeah," she answered.

"Then help me out of here," Optimus ordered, lifting a hand up to her.

Rolling her eyes, Bay replied, "Whatever you say, Captain Cranky-Pants," and reached down to help him up. She grabbed his hand. They'd just locked grips and Bay was getting ready to pull the Prime up when suddenly she was being roughly jerked off her feet and into the water beside him. Landing face first, the sixteen-year-old came up gasping a spluttering. She death glared at the Autobot. "What the Sam hill was that for?!" she shrieked, splashing water and more mud and pond scum at him.

"Call it payback for pushing me in here," Optimus growled.

Bay stared at him in utter disbelief. "**I SHOVED YOU IN HERE TO HELP YOU, YA FRIGGIN' MORON!**"

"You could have just _**told**_ me to come in here!" Optimus retorted. "But instead you went and _**shoved **_me in, so payback is called for!" With that, he pushed himself up on his feet and staggered out of the pond, having to tug his feet loose when they got sucked into the mud.

Bay lurched up to her feet, nearly slipping and falling back down as she did. She glared after him. "You idiot!" Bay screeched after him. "You are so lucky I can control the elements or else your holoform would be dead! D'ya have any idea what water does to leather?!" The flapped her soaked, red leather jacket to emphasize her point.

"What are you worried for?" Optimus questioned, looking back over his shoulder as he hauled himself up the bank and out of the pond. "You said it yourself—you can control the elements. I think your jacket will be fine."

"That _**ain't**_ the point!" Bay insisted. She began to exit the pond as well, slipping and sliding every few steps. Grabbing so reeds she pulled herself out of the water and stormed up to the Prime who for a moment disappeared and then reappeared a second later, looking as though he'd never gone swimming at all. "The point is it was completely rude and thoughtless to do what ya did to me!"

"Oh!" Optimus exclaimed, whirling on her with his hands on his hips. He leaned down and got face to face with her. "You mean kind of like what you did to me when you set me up with this holoform that caused this situation to happen in the first place?!"

Bay scoffed and leaned back a bit. "It was a _**joke**_, Prime!" she stated for about the millionth time. "Ever heard of the phrase "let it go"?"

"Oh, I'll let it go when you apologize," Optimus snarled, pointing a finger in her chest.

"Well, I ain't apologizin'," Bay snarled back thrusting her face further in his. "It. Was. A. _**Joke**_."

"And clearly the only one who thought it was funny was you," Optimus replied tartly.

"No, not just me," Bay defended herself. "Bumblebee thought it was hilarious, too."

"Bumblebee laughs at anything and everything so I wouldn't put much worth on his sense of humor."

"Well, at least he _**knows**_ how to laugh!" Bay spat. "Unlike you!"

"I know how to laugh!" Optimus insisted. "You've heard me laugh before, you just don't like it because every time I've laughed I've done it at you."

"Yeah," Bay replied, crossing her arms and glaring up at him. "So who's the rude one now, hmm?"

"The situations are completely different!" Optimus bellowed.

"Oh, really? How so?"

"One) The only times I've ever laughed at you has been when I pulled a prank on you. You laugh at me for just about everything. Two) I've only ever played pranks on you to get you back for ones you've played on me. You started playing pranks on me for no reason at all other than the fact that you're an incorrigible little monster. Three) None of the pranks that I have played on you has ruined your life unlike yours have mine!"

"Oh, please!" Bay laughed. "The holoform prank? Don't ya think you're being just a little over-dramatic, Prime?"

"That's easy for you to say when you're the one who doesn't have to worry about being mobbed and chased if you walk down the street," Optimus snapped.

"Then change it," Bay spat. "Okay? Just change your friggin' holoform!"

"It's not as simple as that," Optimus responded. "It isn't like you organics changing clothes. A holoform is like a third form for Cybertronians; once you've changed a holoform from the default form to something else it takes a lot of concentration and energy and time to change it again!"

"Hey," Bay said, holding a hand up to stop him, "for the record there are a lotta people in this world who think the same thing about changing clothes."

"I'm being serious, Bay!" Optimus yelled. "This isn't something you can joke your way out of. You knew what you were setting me up for when you told me to go with this form," he motioned to himself, "and you didn't care! All you cared about was getting a good laugh. Well, congratulations, Bay! You got it! Thanks to you I can't walk down the streets and interact with and meet people without getting mobbed by the insane fans of the person my holoform is modeled after! Do you have any idea how frustrating and lonely that is?"

At that something inside Bay snapped and her temper shot sky high. "Lonely?" she hissed, her voice dangerously soft. She glared up at the Cybertronian beneath furrowed brows with teeth bared. "Lonely?" All at once she was screaming again. "You think _**you're**_ lonely?!" she demanded, shoving the holoform hard. "Ya don't know a _**thing**_ about bein' lonely, Autobot! So you can't make some new friends—big freakin' whoop!—at least you actually have some!"

Optimus stayed quiet, just standing there and staring on a bit stunned by both the teenager's outburst and what she was saying. He'd never seen Bay like this before. Oh, he was no stranger to her anger, but right now she wasn't even angry, she was more enraged. Desperately enraged. That was a new side to Bay.

"You have no idea how lucky ya are, Prime!" Bay continued to rage. "And do ya even care?! No! No, you're all, "Oh, I wish I could make more friends but I can't because of this stupid holoform that Bay set me up with!" Well, ya know what, Prime? It could always be worse; you could be _**me!**_—but you're not! So shut up about bein' lonely, just shut up about it! Ugh!" Red faced and no less furious now that her rant was over, Bay turned away and began to storm off, ripping the water off herself and out of her clothes and hair and sending it flying back towards the pond.

Optimus watched on as the muttering junior stomped away, admittedly feeling a bit worried for her. She'd almost looked on the verge of tears! What was going on with her? Naturally empathetic, even for a girl who drove him crazier than anyone else in his life ever had, the Prime decided to follow after her and see if he could find out. When he finally caught up to her again, he found her seated in the shade of a tree hugging her legs to her chest with her face buried in her knees. It sounded like she was… crying? Quietly coming over, Optimus slowly bent down and brushed a hand against her shoulder. "Bay?" Flinching, Bay looked up with a small gasp and Optimus could clearly see tears in her eyes. "Are you… crying?" he questioned in some disbelief. Since when did Bay cry? She never cried.

Sniffling pathetically, Bay quickly raised a currently ungloved hand and wiped furiously at her eyes and cheek. "N-no," she timidly insisted, voice betraying her as it quivered.

Optimus gave her a flat look. "So you're just flushing your optics, is that it?"

Bay gave him a befuddled look. "Huh?"

"It's nothing," Optimus waved it off. "But don't try to tell me you're not crying, Bay, because you clearly are."

"Maybe I am," Bay said, looking away from him and trying to hide her face, "and maybe I'm not. What's it matter to _**you**_? It's not ya like me or anything, so what do ya care if I'm cryin' or not?"

"Aww, come on, Bay," Optimus countered as he knelt down beside her, "you make me sound as sparkless as a Decepticon. Maybe you and I don't always get along but that doesn't mean I don't care when it comes down to it. Besides, I can't stand to see anyone cry."

"Yeah, whatever," the girl muttered shakily. She sniffed and tried to wipe away her tears again.

Sighing heavily, Optimus decided to try a different tactic. He lowered himself to sit by the sixteen-year-old and leaned up against the tree trunk, stretching his long holoform legs out in front of him. And then he just sat there in silence. He didn't look at Bay, but instead kept his gaze off in the distance, and patiently waited.

There was a long moment of silence before Bay finally broke it. "I don't wanna talk about it, Prime," she mumbled, though her voice lacked adamancy.

"That's fine," the Prime assured with a nod. "I'm not asking you to." He let silence seep in for another moment or two more before he finally added, "But… you know," he looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye, "sometimes when we talk about our problems we start to feel better." He turned his head to look at Bay fully that time. "Just a suggestion." Once again, quiet. Quiet with nothing but the calls of the birds in the trees, the slight breeze, and playground and traffic noise off in the distance to break it. Optimus kept his gaze locked on Bay. Once again he broke the silence, just daring to ask, "Is it… is it me?" Somehow he didn't think it was, but he wanted to be sure just in case. If it had been him he felt bad because, while making Bay mad and annoyed was one thing, driving her to utter tears was another. He never wanted to be that cruel to anyone.

Bay slowly shook her head. "No," she whispered. "No it's not you, Prime." She made a humorless laugh. "In some ways I almost wish it was because with you I can at least understand why ya would say those kinda things to me, and, honestly, I wouldn't blame ya for it."

"Say what things?" Optimus gently inquired further, leaning forward and over to try and see Bay's face.

"That nobody likes me," Bay answered almost too softly to be heard. "That I don't belong here and nobody wants me here. That I should just kill myself…" her voice dropped off with a shudder and she hid her face in her knees again, sniffling and whimpering pitifully.

Optimus was shocked, horrified, even surprisingly angry by this. Someone at told Bay to kill herself?! How could anyone be so cruel?! Even 'cons wouldn't stoop that low! (Or maybe they would—he'd only ever encountered Megatron so how would he really know?) The Prime reached for the girl and tried to place his hand on her shoulder. "Bay…." The junior flinched away from his touch. Pulling his hand back, the holoform simply sat there and stared at the girl trying to think of something—anything—to say to her. "Who… who told you this?" he finally inquired, voice hardly above a whisper.

"Christina," Bay sniffed, voice muffled. "She's this girl at my school who's been bullyin' me ever since we moved here last year. She's done some pretty messed up stuff to me… but this has been the worst."

"What happened?"

Sniffling Bay lifted her head and rested her chin on her arms, gazing off into the distance as she did. Tears trickled down her cheeks. "My kid brother stole my diary this mornin'," she began, "and when I finally got it back from him I stuck it my backpack and took it with me to school so I know it'd be safe." Bay squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to keep herself under control. "But it wasn't safe," she squeaked. "It fell outta my bag as school and I didn't notice it and… and Christina and her friends found it and made hundreds of copies of it. They spread 'em all over the school. Every single one of my secrets, my thoughts, my dreams… they were all spread out and taped up for everybody to see… like they were on display at some f-ed up museum of ridicule." A sob broke loose from the girl and she clamped a hand over her mouth as she bit her lip to try and hold them back, her body shaking. ""And when…" she continued after a moment, "… and when I confronted Christina about it that's when she told me. That's when she told me to go kill myself… and that everybody would like me a lot better if I did." Bay hid her face again, fighting the strained sobs that threatened to take over. Her throat was so tight it hurt.

Optimus remained quiet for a moment, trying to process this and make some sort of sense out of it but he just couldn't. How could any sentient being be that cruel? Especially to one of its own species? "Have you…" the Prime gulped, fearing the answer he'd get for this question, "… have you ever… thought about doing… that, Bay?"

That time Bay lifted her head and looked over at him, expression desperate and pitiful. "I wish I could say 'no'," she said, voice breaking, "but I'd be lyin' if I did." She started shaking with the sobs again and she fought hard to get them back under control. "I mean…" she forced out, voice pained with the effort she was making to keep herself form losing control, "… I know what they say—it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem that isn't even that bad… but right now… I don't know—this feels pretty bad, Prime. I've never understood why someone would want to take their own life… but I'm startin' to… and it scares me! I don't wanna go there, Optimus. I don't wanna go there and put my family through that… but I honestly can't think of anythin' else to do and I've tried. Believe me, I've tried! I've tried everything I can think of to help myself but… but nothin' works! I just feel so… alone and so scared… like no one understands or even cares and… and… I just don't know what to do…." She hid her face in her hands as the sobs tried to take over again. So far she wasn't letting them win, but they were starting to wear her down and break through. It wouldn't be much longer before she was in complete hysterics… but maybe that's what she needed. Bay had been holding it all together for so long, maybe she just needed to let it all go in one fell swoop and drain herself down to complete numbness. Maybe that would be the only way she'd get better.

"Have you tried talking to anyone else about this?" Optimus asked.

Bay shook her head, not taking her face out of her hands. "No," she admitted. "No, you're the first." She turned to face him and let her hands fall in her lap, loosely clasped together. "I've _**tried**_, Optimus," she asserted, looking him directly in the eyes. "I swear to you in God's name that I have tried but it doesn't work, okay? My mom… she doesn't listen; she always brushes it off like I'm bein' over-dramatic. And I know she doesn't understand because she was about as "it" as an "IT" girl can get in high school. And Marshall's ten and lives to torment me so…. And Dad… he's about the only one I could talk to but… every time I try I just seem to sugar-coat the hell outta everything because… because I don't want him worryin' about me, ya know? And all my friends back home… they all got their own lives they're busy with and… well, I don't wanna worry them either. So it's like… I really don't have anyone I can talk to because… either they don't get it, or don't care, or I gotta be strong for them. And at the beginnin' that was okay but now…." Bay buried her splotchy face in her hands again, elbows resting on her knees, and shook it. "Optimus, I don't know what…" she broke off with a shuddering gasp and clasped both hands tighly over her lips. Screwing her eyes shut, she bit inside of her cheek and started chanting to herself, "_I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry._" Bay froze and gasped when an unexpected hand gently clasped her shoulder. Opening her eyes she slowly looked up, lowering her hands from her mouth, and met Optimus steady gaze with her own watery one. She held it, sniffling and trying to keep the sobs back.

"Bay," Optimus said gently, never looking away from her eyes, "you might find this hard to believe, but I do care. I do. And… if you ever need somebody to talk to I'm here. And you don't have to be strong for me, all right? I can be strong enough for the both of us. Trust me."

And just like that, with that confession—that totally unexpected confession—everything inside Bay let loose. Face screwing up and teeth gritting in utter pain, the teen squeezed her eyes shut and raised a hand to cover them, still trying to fight the inevitable.

Optimus reached up and gently pulled her hand away. "Hey," he softly soothed, pulling her towards him, "come here, Bay. Come here." He was a bit surprised by how easily and willingly she came to him, but he accepted it without question. Pulling her into his arms he leaned back against the tree and just sat there holding her, resting his cheek against her hair.

Bay desperately clung to him, fingers gripping the holoform vest in a white-knuckle clutch like she never wanted to let go. Her face was buried in his chest soaking his shirt with her tears and snot as she wailed heart wrenchingly into the darkness of his vest. Even in her pain she felt slightly embarrassed. She'd never just completely broken down before in all her life and it felt so humiliating and yet so relieving at the same time. And it was so weird that it was Optimus' shoulder she was crying on! They weren't friends or even friendly acquaintances. They _**hated**_ each other! They always got on each other's nerves and never got along; they'd scream and yell at each other all the time! Yet they were here. And somehow, in a way Bay couldn't explain, it felt good and right. It felt like it was the one thing she had needed most her entire life. Like Optimus was supposed to have been here all along with her and all the time he hadn't been something was missing. But now he was here. And that… hole in her life felt like it was gone. It felt better. _**She **_felt better. In a manner of speaking. "Thank you," she hiccupped between sobs. "Thank you, Optimus."

"Shh," Optimus softly hushed her. "Shh, it's okay, Bay. I promise you it's gonna be okay. I'm here—I have you. I got'cha. You're gonna be just fine. Everything's gonna be fine."

And somehow Bay knew he was right. Everything was going to be fine because she had Optimus now and with him everything felt all right.

* * *

><p><strong>Please, people, no comments about them being in love or anything like that, okay? Because their relationship is not like that okay? It never has been, and it never will be. They are best friends, brother and sister but NOT lovers okay? Okay?! *walks away with heavy sigh*<strong>


End file.
